Sequestration hits US Army aviation RDA budget unduly hard

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
21 January 2015


The US Army's rotary-winged force pyramid includes divesting its older-model CH-47D Chinooks (pictured) in favour of an all-CH-47F fleet. Source: IHS/Gareth Jennings
Ongoing sequestration in the United States is having a disproportionately severe impact on the US Army's aviation research and development and acquisitions (RDA) budget, a senior government official said on 21 January.

Speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter conference in London, Heidi Shyu, assistant secretary of the Army (acquisition, logistics, and technology) and Army acquisition executive, said that with the service having to cope with sequestration in addition to baseline defence cuts, the axe is falling on RDA in order to safeguard other budget lines.

"Over the last four years, the budget has been under significant pressure; sequestration forces tough decisions," she said. "To try to keep [current] manpower levels, we have been forced to squeeze research and development and acquisitions. The RDA account is coming down twice as fast as our top line [reductions], and this poses some concern for us in the future."

While defence budget cuts are to be expected with the end of the war in Afghanistan, sequestration is making the current circumstances concerning, Shyu said.

"The past has shown a rapid increase in funding in the approach to war, followed by a trough in spending at the end of every conflict," Shyu explained. "We are now hitting that trough. Industry is hoping and expecting that there will be an inflection point back-up, but I would say this will only happen without sequestration.

"Having to plan two different budgets - with sequestration and without sequestration - is painful, and I tell this to Congress every time I speak to them. It is hard to plan when you don't know what is going to happen next year."

In fiscal year 2015 the US Army will have a total budget of USD121 billion, USD20.6 billion of which is earmarked for RDA. Within this allocation, USD5.32 billion is set aside for aviation (the largest single allocation), but these numbers do not include the effects of sequestration.

As well as budget cuts, the army traditionally re-evaluates its future priorities when conflict comes to an end. For example, at the end of the Vietnam War, it was decided to invest in 'the big five': the Apache attack helicopter, Abrams main battle tank, Bradley armoured fighting vehicle, Patriot missile system, and Multi-Launch Rocket System. After Operation 'Desert Storm', the army pursued greater digitalisation. However, Shyu said today's choices are somewhat more complicated.

"At the end of every war, we have to make difficult decisions," she said. "Today and in the future, we will have to deal with a wide expanse of threats, from terrorists and nation states." According to Shyu, the future direction of army aviation is assessed using a 'rotary-winged force pyramid'.

At the bottom of this pyramid, and receiving the largest share, is fleet divesture. "We have to get rid of our old stuff, as maintenance costs are huge," Shyu said. This process will see the army's current seven-helicopter fleet reduced to four (the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook, Boeing AH-64 Apache, and Airbus UH-72 Lakota). Older-model UH-60A and CH-47D helicopters will also be divested in favour of the UH-60M/L and CH-47F.

The next level up from fleet divestiture is the resetting and sustainment of equipment that has been operational in conflict. "We need these systems for the next war," Shyu said. This effort includes the UH-60A to L conversions, the UH-72A overhaul, and depot engine overhaul.

Modernisation and modification forms the next level, involving the incremental upgrade of platforms with new survivability and communications equipment. Shyu said that while the army has been very successful at this, the service has maxed out in terms of the size, weight, and power limitations of the host platforms. "We are now trying to win that back for future growth," she explained.

Following on from modernisation and modification is new systems, a category that involves adding mobility, survivability, and lethality capabilities across the helicopter fleet. Programmes comprise the Improved Turbine Engine Program (increasing from 2,000 to 3,000 shp for the Apache and Black Hawk); the Common Infrared Countermeasures; Future Vertical Lift (FVL); and the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile.

At the top of the pyramid is science and technology. "We must retain this budget to enable our next-generation capabilities," Shyu said. "This is the seed corn of the future."

This category comprises the Joint MultiRole programme, which will feed into FVL; degraded visual environments; and the Future Affordable Turbine Engine programme (beyond 3,000 shp to 7,000 shp in the future and a 35% reduced fuel burn).

Under current plans, the US Army will field a fleet of 690 AH-64E, 1,375 UH-60M, 760 UH-60L (digitally upgraded), 473 CH-47F, and 345 UH-72A helicopters.