The US Army has cut its planned purchase of RAH-66 Comanche armed recon helicopters to 650, considerably less than the originally planned purchase. These will all be armed recon aircraft; plans for a heavy attack Comanche that could eventually replace the AH-64 Apache are being put on hold. Instead, the Army will look into improvements in Apache (now scheduled to stay in service to 2024) and hurrying development of an unarmed drone that could work with both types of helicopters.--Stephen V Cole