First UH-1N Hueys enter USCBP service

[MikeD]

First of eight fully refurbished ex-USMC UH-1N Twin-Pack Hueys enters service. These birds were pulled from the boneyard at DMA and stored on our ramp prior to being shipped to VNY for complete overhaul. Not a bad bargain for the capabilities these bring, as compared to the operation and maintenance costs of other airframes in the fleet. These birds will operate in the Rio Grande valley area, replacing Vietnam veteran UH-1H single-engine Hueys that are in service there, as UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters are not assigned to the RGV/Texas area.

http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/nationa...0000/cbp-accepts-modernized-uh-1n-twin-engine

 

[RDoug]

Too cool. The Huey remains my favorite helicopter of all time with the Bell 47 and Sikorsky H-34 right up there.

Gee. I'm showing my age, aren't I.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Obviously, they're cheaper than Blackhawks (new ones, anyway). What does the capability comparison look like?

 

[FloridaLarry]

Boris Badenov said:

Obviously, they're cheaper than Blackhawks (new ones, anyway). What does the capability comparison look like?

How fast does it have to be to chase poor peasants across the desert? At least, until the Coyotes start buying at surplus armament sales somewhere in the world.

Cost benefit analysis win/win.

Note that they also left space on the panel for more instrumentation. When invented.

 

[MikeD]

Obviously, they're cheaper than Blackhawks (new ones, anyway). What does the capability comparison look like?

Gotta look at the whole cost. Buy/ops/MX. Plus the fact that CBP doesn't own it's Blackhawks, the Army still does (why they have their 5-digit Army numbers instead of an N-number). Meaning they any $$ put into heavy inspections or modifications from A to L, are a freebie for DOD that DHS is spending. And the birds in inventory do have heavy Mx upcoming. One A to L conversion was something like $20m in work, and there was a GAO investigation on how much CBP was spending on the same conversion that the USCG was doing for theirs at a much lesser cost.

Capabilities wise, the Blackhawk is more capable in certain aspects, but not so much moreso necessarily to fully justify the cost differential for the major costs associated, in my opinion. And our A model Blackhawks are 1978-1982ish models.

 

[MikeD]

Boris Badenov said:
How fast does it have to be to chase poor peasants across the desert? At least, until the Coyotes start buying at surplus armament sales somewhere in the world.

Cost benefit analysis win/win.

Note that they also left space on the panel for more instrumentation. When invented.

Not just the desert work against illegals, but also special ops LE work, as well as helo rescue work too.

 

[Cessnaflyer]

They look great and it sends my frugal bone humming!

 

[deadstick]

One A to L conversion was something like $20m in work, and there was a GAO investigation on how much CBP was spending on the same conversion that the USCG was doing for theirs at a much lesser cost.

Didn't the last 60 purchase average out to about $20M/ea?