1、1This report supercedes CRS Report 96-525 F, Army Aviation: RAH-66 Comanche, by StevenR. Bowman. Washington, 1996 (Archived).2VernonLoeb.“FateofArmyChopperOnTheBlock.”WashingtonPost.August 31,2002.p.2.Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the C
2、RS WebOrder Code RS20522Updated July 2, 2003Army Aviation: The RAH-66 ComancheHelicopter Issuenameredac tedSpecialist in National DefenseForeign Affairs, Defense, and Trade DivisionSummaryAlthough it has been a high Army priority, a number of factors have complicatedtheRAH-66Comancheprogram. Sinceit
3、sinception,theprogramhasbeenrestructuredseveraltimespostponingtheinitialoperationalcapability(IOC)andincreasingoverallprogram costs. In late 2002, DoD restructured the RAH-66 program again, cutting thenumber of aircraft to be procured in half. This report will be updatedBackground1The RAH-66 Comanch
4、e is a next generation armed reconnaissance helicopter. It isthe first helicopter designed and developed specificallyfor this mission. The Comancheis being designed to stealthily penetrate enemy airspace and conduct reconnaissance. Itis to incorporate advanced computers and communications to play a