PAUL DERBY
Officials from Boeing and Sikorsky remained tight-lipped at Asian Aerospace last night as rumours in Washington claimed that the multi-billion-dollar RAH-66 Comanche helicopter programme faced cancellation.
Reports from the US capital suggested that an announcement formally ending the programme would be made imminently.
A decision to halt the programme would be a body blow to Boeing and Sikorsky, which have both invested heavily in a platform viewed as the centrepiece of the army's attack and scout helicopter fleet.
Intense
The Comanche has been the subject of intense scrutiny, with numerous reviews implemented to tackle escalating development costs. Boeing/Sikorsky undertook a $50 million mini-redesign of the aircraft last year which aimed to shed 91kg (200lb) from its overall weight.
Rumours about Comanche's position within the future plans of the US Army were fuelled last September when incoming chief of staff Gen Peter Schoomaker established the Aviation Task Force. It was believed that Comanche had come through this process unscathed.
The Department of Defense is due to begin talks in mid-April about its spending plans for the next five years. The wider picture of US spending on counter-terrorism could influence funding for new programmes such as Comanche.
Source: Flight Daily News