Craig:

I evaluated the H-1 rebuild versus buying new H-60′s for the Navy in the mid-90s. Your information on the deficiences of the H-60 is in error or as likely a product of HQUSMC disinformation. The Navy already flies H-60s. The blades fold, they operate off of ships as small as the FFG-7 class frigates or Bear class Coast Guard cutters. The Navy has chosen the HH-60 as a replacement for the CH-46 VERTREP mission. The aircraft is faster, has more lift and is much more survivable then the H-1. In fact the UH-1 rebuild does not really by back as much lift as advertised. If you add the ESSS pylons to an H-60 you have an attack capability equal to the Apache with more speed and maneuverability then AH-64 at the same weight. When I mentioned this at brief to Nora Slatkin, who was ASN for Acquistions at the time, the Marines said that configuration was too slow and could only operate at 90 knts. I was well prepared for this because I had already talked to the Army about their use of an AH-60 variant for special operations. Army aviation had also told me that when they were doing OPEVAL for the UH-60 they were specifally told they could not qual the aircraft for the gunship mission…it would have killed the Apache program.