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Subject:
Why Ah-1Z and Uh-1y?
interrested 2
5/5/2004 3:52:17 PM
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| Can somebody please tell me why the marines have chosen to get these big upgrades?
It seems to me that the 412 EP 4 bladed rotor could have been used/mounted on the existing AH-1W without any problems.
Yes, ofcourse onther things needed to be corrected to,
(glass pit, gps, radio's, sensors) but my guess is that the current Ah-1w is still pretty capable and and simpler upgrade could yield 90% of the capabilities at far lower costs.
-For example, a cots palmtop + gps can be used as moving map display.
-Commercial programmable radio's are available to:
1. Get a datalink capability, it's more or less a question of the right protocol's
2. Secure radio transmissions can be easiliy created, think scramble data transmissions.
- Cots digital sensors, a 15 Mpixel camera will get you beautifull pictures.
- Cots CPU, yes I know they are not hardend. But the current mil spec 286 (f22) cpu's have about 0.0025 of the procerros power of the current pentiums. So you degrade the procerros to about 300mhz instead of 3000. You're still going to be dozens to times faster and cheaper. Current memmory/HD size, video compression capability, USB , etc etc...all cots goodies the militairy can only dream of.
I heard some daft thing that they use a cartridge to upload date into the F15E. 2 MB. Gee my current usb stick has 512 MB at only 100 euro....see what I mean?
Anyways, I just wanted to know what you guys think of the AH-1Z/y upgrade.
PS, another idea could have been a navalised AH-64. They now have blade folding available. So u only need to move the rear tailwheel to the front and you're done. just like the UH60 seahawk.
the common platform (woth army) would be very bennificial. I really wonder if the development program+purchase of the AH-1Z isn't costing more than just the purchase of the AH-64D + minor upgrades. |
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