Marines allocate nearly $7b for helicopter upgrades.

One of the three Abrams tanks the Marine Corps lost in Iraq was destroyed by friendly tire, specifically by a Hellfire anti-tank missile launched from a Cobra attack helicopter.

Avoiding such incidents of "blue on blue" tire is one reason why the Marine Corps wants to renovate its entire fleet of 200 Cobras and equip them with powerful targeting sensors that would allow pilots to positively identify targets out to the range of the Hellfire missile-approximately 5-8 km.

The upgrade to the Cobras is part of a broader effort to fix up the Corps' Vietnamera helicopter fleet. Both the Cobra gunship and the Huey utility chopper will get new engines, digital glass cockpits, four-bladed rotors and the airframes will be rebuilt so they can fly 10,000 more hours. About 100 Hueys will change from the UH-1N to the UH-1Y configuration. Between 180-200 refurbished AH-1W Cobras will be renamed AH-1Z.

Five of the rebuilt aircraft already are flying in tests that will continue through 2004, said Marine Col. Doug Isleib, program manager for the UH-1Y and AH-1Z. Of the five, two are UH-1Ys. Of the three AH-1Zs, only two are fully upgraded. The third has the new engine, drivetrain and rotor system, but retains the original AH-1W avionics and cockpit.

The Cobra Huey upgrade program slowly is recovering from a near death experience, when the Defense Department cited it for significant cost overruns and threatened to cancel it. Isleib attributed the problems to a gross underestimation of the cost, dating back to 1996. "We reached a point when we needed to turn things around or find an alternative aircraft," he told National Defense.

Each helicopter now is expected to cost, on average, $16.5 million, a bargain price compared to what new helos cost, Isleib said.

Between 2005-2009, the Marine Corps will spend $1.1 billion on research and development and $5.6 billion to upgrade at least 280 aircraft.

By 2008, the Marine Corps plans to begin fielding fleet squadrons, each composed of six Cobras and three Hueys.

A high-level Pentagon review by the Defense Acquisition Board is scheduled for August. The DAB must give the program the green light before the contractor-Bell Helicopter Textron can begin production. Isleib's office plans to release in July the results of recent operational tests.

Isleib is hopeful that the project will move forward, despite widespread concerns that the Defense Department will not be able to afford it.

The aging Cobras and Hueys cannot last much longer without major upgrades, Isleib said. Performance gains also are sought. The Huey UH-1N has a maximum payload of 10,500 pounds. The UH-1Y will be able to carry 18,500 pounds, with better engines and rotors, both helicopters will reach speeds of 200 knots.

The Cobra targeting sensor is the most significant "war-fighting enhancement," said Isleib, because it allows pilots to "see, identify and positively recognize friend or roe from much farther away."

The targeting sight is a third-generation forward looking infrared made by Lockheed Martin Corp. The Huey will have a less-powerful sensor, called Brite Star, made by FLIR Systems Inc.

The Brite Star mounts under the nose of the helicopter. It provides a forward-looking infrared radar and television image along with laser designation and range finding. The system is scheduled to enter service in September 2003. Isleib's office, however, shipped its two Brite Star test prototypes to units in Southwest Asia, so they could be used in combat over Iraq.

The Cobra FLIR, which has not yet completed testing, is a more sophisticated sensor, Isleib said. "Cobra can take a larger system and requires a better capability as an attack helicopter." With this targeting sight, "you can positively ID out to the maximum range of Hellfire"

Both helos will have the same glass cockpit. The current cockpits have "a lot of kluged-on systems and analog gauges that are labor intensive," said Isleib. "In these aircraft, the pilot can focus on fighting, on what's outside, rather than trying to figure out what his airplane is telling him."

The Cobra's new weapon stations will accommodate 16 Hellfire missiles plus two air-to-air Sidewinders.

Despite their age, the Cobras survived the damage experienced in recent operations in Iraq, where many of them took small-arms fire from Iraqi defenders.

Cobra pilots, said Isleib, always are trained to "stay moving, to not shoot from hover, but to keep moving" During close air support operations, sensors become invaluable assets, he added. "It's important to see the enemy before they see us."