When the Comanche cancellation announcement was made all of the
engineers at work started breaking out their "wet dream" Powerpoint
presentations on upgrades to the Longbow. I've seen proposals that range
from sticking a Blackhawk turtleback and drivetrain onto it all the way
up to what looks like a cross between a Hind and a Comanche. The amount
of money that will be freed up probably won't be that great - lots of
things that the Army would like to buy besides aviation assets.

The M-TADS was supposed to be fielded on the Lot 7 Longbows. It'll be a
miracle if LockMart gets it working in time for Lot 8 - leastwise,
working up to the original spec. Israel and Japan have been threatening
to cancel their Longbow buys because LMCO hasn't been able to come
through on their M-TADS promises. LockMart's penchant for neverending
development programs will probably eat up most of whatever money goes to
the Longbow improvements.

Vygg

Ron Carns wrote:

With the Comanche being cancelled, money has been freed to fund improvements
to the existing airframe. Much of what you mentioned is part of the
DRIVETRAIN 2000 upgrade. Rumor has it, that TADS/PNVS should be fielded
with lot 8 starting late this year. And the "new" LONGBOW RADAR that you
mentioned that will be taken from Comanche....was/is the same RADAR taken
from LONGBOW AH-64D to the RH-66 Comanche. The Program Manager (PM) may
have contracted for improvements, but it is the same RADAR. We already have
a "fly by wire" capability used in emergencies called E-BUCS. As for the
tailrotor improvements...I can't speak to those points. I don't belive
there is any plan for retractable gear, if there is, then that is a mistake
or a trade on crew survivability. I am one of the few people alive that
have survived a crash in a LONGBOW. I can say if I had been in any other
aircraft, I would be dead.

CW4 Ron Carns