Tom Clancy Drool-Fest Canceled

From the AP:

The Army has decided to cancel its Comanche helicopter program, a multibillion-dollar project to build a new-generation chopper for armed reconnaissance missions, officials said Monday.

The contractors for Comanche are Boeing Co. and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

With about $8 billion already invested in the program, and the production line not yet started, the cancellation is one of the largest in the history of the Army. It follows the Pentagon’s decision in 2002 to cancel the Crusader artillery program — against the wishes of Army leaders.

Pentagon officials said a public announcement was planned for Monday afternoon.

Smart move. The Commanche would have been a damn fine chopper — but the need for a costly, high-tech, lightly-armed, and stealthy scout chopper died with the successes of the Global Hawk and Predator UAVs.