RAH-66 Comanche: A stealth helicopter. Should UAVs really replace it?

Question

The RAH-66 Comanche stealth Scout/Reconisence Attack helicopter is being replace with unmaned aerial vehicles. Should the world most powerful helicopter be replaced even before it gets put out by these little military grade RC airplane toys?

I did hear of the British using a full squadron of the Comanche though. And a marine friend of mine said the marines use them. Any of these statements true?

Answer 1

Commanche was not actually the world's most powerfull helicopter. the UAVs do their job cheaper, faster, and do not require the CSAR support when they are eventually shot down. they are simply replaced.

more than that the Commanche still was intented to be just a high priority target killer - low priority target designator for apache. It was never intented to be a surveillance unit like most the UAVs are.
as for the designed UAV scouts to cooperate with the Apaches- once again they are far more cheaper and do not require manning.

no brits are not using them ,nor are the Marines. --speaking of Commanches.

Answer 2

The Comanche program was discontinued before ever making it into service. The Army will instead focus on updating it's current fleet of aging helicopters. The role of armed scout will fall onto the AH-64 Apache and Bell ARH-70, which is due to replace the Vietnam-vintage OH-58 Kiowa.

*edit* Wingless Pilot is correct, The RAH-66 never got out of the evaluation phase, and no units (in the U.S. or abroad) fly the Comanche.

Answer 3

UAVs are more cost effective and their pilots can fly from the safety of a control room at DoD or wherever it is they safely fly from. I'm not even sure the Comanche made it thru all its testings/certifications.

Remember Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird? It got replace by spy satellites which don't need to carry expensive pilots to fly or burn fuel every second to remain in orbit.

Answer 4

It was completely cancelled while still a prototype. It was too expensive and did not sufficiently outperform current aircraft to justify the expense. FYI, the F22 project was also cancelled after just 170 Aircraft were put into service. @Mark: I wasn't saying cancelled as in decommissioned and not in service. I was saying the initial project order was cancelled as it originally called for the complete replacement of the F15, almost 500 airframes.