US Army Scraps Comanche Helicopter

US Army Scraps Comanche Helicopter 727

Posted by simoniker on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:35PM from the vaporware dept.

swordboy writes "The US Army just scrapped the Comanche helicopter program - a joint venture with Boeing and United Technologies. After 20 years and billions of taxpayer dollars, it never produced an operational helicopter. Open-source helicopter, anyone?" The article notes: "The Comanche is designed to receive and process intelligence from drones and surveillance aircraft and pass it to ground units. The Army was directed in 2002 to focus its research on producing a reconnaissance helicopter rather than one that can attack as well as scout. The helicopter was intended to counter Soviet weapons."

US Army Scraps Comanche Helicopter

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NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

by narftrek ( 549077 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:37PM (#8367159)

Oh DEAR GOD NO! Does this mean I have to scrap playing Comanche 4?? I just got into the last Mission set. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!

The Pentagon probably (Score:2, Funny)

by ackthpt ( 218170 ) * writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:37PM (#8367161) Homepage Journal

The Pentagon probably determined a catastrophic weather change and these wouldn't work under the new climate...

Bummer.... (Score:3, Funny)

by otis wildflower ( 4889 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:37PM (#8367163) Homepage

... I was kinda partial to it, ever since LHX came out for MSDOS back in like 1990 or so..

http://store6.yimg.com/I/hobby-warehouse_1772_82 27 55

ok.... (Score:5, Funny)

by Digitus1337 ( 671442 ) writes: <lk_digitus AT hotmail DOT com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:37PM (#8367167) Homepage

Who is going to break the news to Novalogic?

If it was open source (Score:4, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:37PM (#8367169)

If it was open source the Russians would have just looked at the code and found out how to counter it. Doesn't sound like a very good military plan to me.

agree (Score:1, Funny)

by ssbljk ( 450611 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:38PM (#8367178) Homepage Journal

yeah, it was stupid piece of flying metal. I kept on crashing and crashing and crashing... in that game.

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

by DaHat ( 247651 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:39PM (#8367186)

Don't forget C&C Generals! My god! The Allied Choppers in there were my right hand which has not been cut off from me!

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:5, Funny)

by grolschie ( 610666 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:40PM (#8367202)

I hate to break it to you, but 'Comanche 4' will no longer be realistic anymore.

So out of date! (Score:4, Funny)

by HappyCitizen ( 742844 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:40PM (#8367207) Homepage Journal

I can't believe your still running Commanche! I'm running Apache! seriously, 20 years and billions of dollars without a working product. Its tough stuff, but with that type of input and no working output, all I can say is ouch and scrap it.

I Know Why They Cancelled It! (Score:5, Funny)

by Snagle ( 644973 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:43PM (#8367235)

Haliburton must have offered to do it for twice the price.

Moderators beware of Karma whore. (Score:2, Funny)

by fishybell ( 516991 ) writes: <fishybell.hotmail@com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:43PM (#8367245) Homepage Journal

Bloomberg isn't going to crumble under the slashdot load. Stop Karma whoring before I beat you back into place.

The Teutels (Score:5, Funny)

by Wedge1212 ( 591767 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:44PM (#8367247)

I bet ol Paul and Paul Sr. are gonna be pissed....look for a fight in a episode next seasn

Re:yet again (Score:5, Funny)

by ignipotentis ( 461249 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:48PM (#8367298)

Are they THAT dumb?
Your new to american politics, aren't you?

Re:Stupid pentagon procurement process... (Score:2, Funny)

by Snagle ( 644973 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:49PM (#8367313)

Are you kidding me!? With the combined power of the Comanche and the Missile Defense System we would be invincible!

Re:Drones made it obselete (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:51PM (#8367329)

...quicker, faster,...

Also redundanter.

Re:Irony.. (Score:3, Funny)

by wankledot ( 712148 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:52PM (#8367343)

Yo, I'll just bust his trace with a trace buster buster... buster! word!
Bad movie reference over... move along.

Maybe.... (Score:3, Funny)

by earthforce_1 ( 454968 ) writes: <earthforce_1 AT yahoo DOT com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:52PM (#8367357) Journal

They could ask that farmer in Vietnam for help.

At least he would be interested in buying the prototype.

Re:If it was open source (Score:5, Funny)

by Unnngh! ( 731758 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:53PM (#8367365)

You clearly don't understand how open source works. The russians would have exploited the code, the chinese would have patched it, and Microsoft would have issued a press release stating that their comanche code was more secure, based on an independent study.
Sheesh!

What is the most invulnerable US weapons system? (Score:5, Funny)

by geoswan ( 316494 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:54PM (#8367378) Journal

What is the most invulnerable US weapons system?
That would have to be the one with sub-contractor in every Congressional district.

Re:yet again (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:56PM (#8367398)

Your new to american politics, aren't you?

You're new to spelling, aren't you?

Commanche (Score:4, Funny)

by Spudley ( 171066 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:57PM (#8367419) Homepage Journal

Yay!

This means that GUI for our-favorite-web-browser-that's-also-named-after a-helicopter won't have to change it's name suddenly and unexpectedly like all those other open source programs that had nothing to do with whatever else it was that had the same name first.

Uh. Yeah. Good news, that.

Re:Irony.. (Score:3, Funny)

by McDutchie ( 151611 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:11PM (#8367576) Homepage

the Irony of your Soviet Russia comment is that the weapons REALLY DID SCRAP YOU!!!

True. Unfortunately, in the United States, you don't scrap weapons.

Re:well... (Score:2, Funny)

by homeobocks ( 744469 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:14PM (#8367601)

Apache HTTPd: "Prefered web server of the 19th centaury."

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:2, Funny)

by lexbaby ( 88257 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:16PM (#8367606) Homepage

What do you mean? Comanche 4 is now the most "real" Comanche in existance!

Re:Stealth Helo? (Score:4, Funny)

by Mr. Piddle ( 567882 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:17PM (#8367615)

It really isn't hard at all. All the pilot does is say "Stealth mode, on!" and the helicopter both becomes completely silent and emits nor reflects any EM radiation. Not only that, the pilot can completely see through all walls via high-power high-resolution IR scopes. The main, although top secret, reason the military builds these helicopters is to spy on sorority houses during rush week.

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:5, Funny)

by Loki_1929 ( 550940 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:18PM (#8367619) Journal

" I hate to break it to you, but 'Comanche 4' will no longer be realistic anymore."

A single helicopter taking out hundreds of armed military personnel, dozens of tanks, handfulls of other helicopters, jets, submarines, battleships, chemical weapons plants, anti-aircraft vehicles and artillery, missile launchers, and terrorists on snowmobiles on a single tank of gas isn't realistic because some vaporware military project got scrapped? I've only got one thing to say to you...

pass THAT shit...

Re:If it was open source (Score:5, Funny)

by iminplaya ( 723125 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:18PM (#8367624) Journal

And SCO would be selling "licenses".

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:5, Funny)

by mgs1000 ( 583340 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:20PM (#8367645) Journal

Tha can't have cancelled the Comanche, what are the supposed to use to fight the Hulk?!?!?!

But... where's my AIRWOLF? (Score:3, Funny)

by scribblej ( 195445 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:22PM (#8367664)

That's all I want to know.

Re:The Bradley (Score:2, Funny)

by narftrek ( 549077 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:23PM (#8367678)

I've heard mech guys talk too, and they MUCH prefer Timberwolves [beastwithin.org] to the puny Bradley.

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

by H1r0Pr0tag0n1st ( 449433 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:32PM (#8367769)

So what are the Teutuls going to do with that bike now?
For those with no idea of what I'm talking about see here [discovery.com] and scroll about halfway down the page for one of the sweetest theme based motorcycles ever.

Re:Good for them. (Score:5, Funny)

by Sentry21 ( 8183 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:39PM (#8367835) Journal

20 years, no working product? Think about that. That's 1984. That's before web pages, before the internet, before Microsoft "took over the world". That's Commodore 64, Atari and Apple days.

Wow, that's almost like wasting my entire life up until this point. What kind of fool would make a mistake like that?

Anyway, I'm going back to reading Slashdot, watching Star Wars, and eating pringles in my darkened basement bedroom until it's time to play some D&D. Later guys.

--Dan

Re:Drones made it obselete (Score:5, Funny)

by yulek ( 202118 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:55PM (#8367999) Homepage Journal

we like to keep our pilots alive...

Soviet Russia invincible! (Score:3, Funny)

by koinu ( 472851 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:05PM (#8368088)

After 20 years [...] it never produced an operational helicopter. [...] The helicopter was intended to counter Soviet weapons.

The 20 year-old Soviet weapons must be damned good!

Re:If it was open source (Score:5, Funny)

by AlXtreme ( 223728 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:06PM (#8368093) Homepage Journal

and RMS would be running around stating that the helicopter should be called GNU/Comanche instead.

Comanche = EBay? (Score:2, Funny)

by SilverThorn ( 133151 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:12PM (#8368129) Homepage

So when will the parts and other goodies be available on Ebay? We already had Blue Angels jet on it, so why not this thing? Maybe the Army could get a little cash back for some of the equipment that was needed to build it?

Cheers. :-)

Re:No longer needed (Score:5, Funny)

by flabbergasted ( 518911 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:14PM (#8368148)

Exactly! When George Bush needed to assassinate Saddam Hussein's waiter, the B-2 was the go to weapon of choice.

Re:First they came (Score:3, Funny)

by mangu ( 126918 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:15PM (#8368159)

the hordes of the Red Army descended on Taiwan...
...and thousands of high-technology firms that were competing against American companies were eliminated at zero cost to the USA, courtesy of the Red Army

Off shore it (Score:5, Funny)

by Bull999999 ( 652264 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:45PM (#8368519) Journal

Future projects like this can be out sourced to India so when it gets canceled, it would've wasted millions of tax payer dollars instead of billions.

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:3, Funny)

by macdaddy357 ( 582412 ) writes: <macdaddy357@hotmail.com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:54PM (#8368613)

Yep, put it in the discarded video games box with all the Avrocar based games, Spruce Goose 2.0 and several dozen others based on boondoggles.

Re:Stupid pentagon procurement process... (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:09PM (#8368764)

I see that the anti-gravity flying death ray project is receiving funding at the expected level then.

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

by Vess V. ( 310830 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:24PM (#8368937) Homepage

Joke's on you.

Re:missouri (Score:3, Funny)

by Politburo ( 640618 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:18PM (#8369433)

They now have movable hangers for deployment closer to the theater. From this page [airforce-technology.com]:
A new transportable hangar system has been developed which will allow the B-2 to be deployed to forward locations overseas. The hangars are 126ft long, 250ft wide and 55ft high. The first of these hangars has been erected on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Prior to this development, B-2s have had to return to Whiteman AFB after missions, for maintenance of the aircrafts' stealth features.

Re:well... (Score:3, Funny)

by rosie_bhjp ( 40538 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @11:55PM (#8370173) Homepage

Yeah but somehow I don't think naming a helicopter the AH-70 Jew will go over very well.

Doesn't matter - American Chopper did it. (Score:3, Funny)

by NotQuiteReal ( 608241 ) writes: on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @12:57AM (#8370567) Journal

Since American Chopper did a "theme bike" based on the Commanche, the American public got their money's worth. :-)

It IS dangerous (Score:2, Funny)

by jmichaelg ( 148257 ) writes: on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @01:08AM (#8370625) Journal

It may not kill you. Even if it does it will take a long time which is why there is plausible deniability that it is dangerous.
Whenever my father would hear that type of argument, he'd say
Water is dangerous. Drink it long enough and you die. Did you know that 99% of the people who died in the past year had swallowed water at some point in their lives.

Re:If it was open source (Score:3, Funny)

by spun ( 1352 ) writes: <loverevolutionary@@@yahoo...com> on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @01:58AM (#8370909) Journal

And ESR would own the one with the most guns!

Re:well... (Score:3, Funny)

by good soldier svejk ( 571730 ) writes: on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @02:35AM (#8371083)

Yeah but somehow I don't think naming a helicopter the AH-70 Jew will go over very well.
That's because we control the media.

At this point AIPAC probably employs more lobbyists than the total surviving population of the American Indian genocide.

;-)

it IS STILL open source!! (Score:2, Funny)

by sebol ( 112743 ) writes: on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @10:30AM (#8372977) Homepage

you can download it here :-
http://www.comanche.org/downloads [comanche.org]

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NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

The Pentagon probably (Score:2, Funny)

Bummer.... (Score:3, Funny)

ok.... (Score:5, Funny)

If it was open source (Score:4, Funny)

agree (Score:1, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:5, Funny)

So out of date! (Score:4, Funny)

I Know Why They Cancelled It! (Score:5, Funny)

Moderators beware of Karma whore. (Score:2, Funny)

The Teutels (Score:5, Funny)

Re:yet again (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Stupid pentagon procurement process... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Drones made it obselete (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Irony.. (Score:3, Funny)

Maybe.... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:If it was open source (Score:5, Funny)

What is the most invulnerable US weapons system? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:yet again (Score:2, Funny)

Commanche (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Irony.. (Score:3, Funny)

Re:well... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Stealth Helo? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:If it was open source (Score:5, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:5, Funny)

But... where's my AIRWOLF? (Score:3, Funny)

Re:The Bradley (Score:2, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Good for them. (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Drones made it obselete (Score:5, Funny)

Soviet Russia invincible! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:If it was open source (Score:5, Funny)

Comanche = EBay? (Score:2, Funny)

Re:No longer needed (Score:5, Funny)

Re:First they came (Score:3, Funny)

Off shore it (Score:5, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Stupid pentagon procurement process... (Score:1, Funny)

Re:NOOOOO!!! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:missouri (Score:3, Funny)

Re:well... (Score:3, Funny)

Doesn't matter - American Chopper did it. (Score:3, Funny)

It IS dangerous (Score:2, Funny)

Re:If it was open source (Score:3, Funny)

Re:well... (Score:3, Funny)

it IS STILL open source!! (Score:2, Funny)

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