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US Army attack helicopters crashing at historically high rate amid mechanical issues (www.cnn.com)
submitted 2 days ago by to c/news@lemmy.world
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The US Army’s Apache helicopters are crashing at a historically high rate amid a widespread problem with the model’s transmission, according to a CNN analysis of military accident data.

The helicopter type has experienced five major crashes since October, and a deadly mishap earlier this month in Texas killed two soldiers, sparked a wildfire and led the Army to temporarily bar Apache pilots from conducting routine training flights. With that crash, fiscal year 2026 is on pace to be the second worst for Apache flight accidents since a new model of the AH-64 was rolled out in 2011.

The Army announced that the pause in training flights, which exempted units deployed to the Middle East, ended Wednesday.

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[–] 29 points 2 days ago (1 child)

The reason the Taliban didn't bother trying to use US helicopters and other advanced equipment left in Afghanistan, was that the required maintenance wasn't just expensive, it required a robust supply infrastructure.

The entire US military has massive supply issues, and the idiots running it will keep destroying very expensive equipment and risking the lives of service members because they're not acknowledging the supply issues.

No one wants to put ten toes down and say "that can't fly".

Because all the high up officers who won't just tell trump what he wants, resigned to protect their pensions.

They're all cowards and this is on their hands as much as the yes men who stayed in.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    I think Americans are starting to realize Trump see us as entirely disposable.

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  • [–] 18 points 2 days ago* (2 children)

    It's not that, it's the same shit as what happened to the Soviet military.

    It's nothing but grifters and yes men, so "on paper" doesn't match reality.

    Like inventory sheet says 100 helicopters that have been getting a million dollars of maintenance a month. But in reality you got 50 "good enough" and 50 that literally can't fly. You can't admit that, so the 50 do double duty flights, still not getting maintenance even tho the government is paying for all 100 to be serviced.

    The "good enoughs" could be brought up to working order, but instead the problem is hid, and they crash totalling them out and people die. Everytime it happens, it increases the odds of happening again.

    This isn't just something that can be fixed on day 1. It's a rot deep inside the military because everyone not doing it at a high level resigned.

    Now we got to push everyone still in out, and replace them.

    That takes decades at this level, because new officers need to raise their the ranks, and good people won't join till the image recovers.

    Whether it's for better or worse we'll have to wait and see, but the days of global American military precense won't be back for 20 years at least.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 days ago

    but the days of global American military precense won’t be back for 20 years at least.

    Skynet possibility aside, it seems impossible to regain dominance. When the Pentagon cannot make a good argument for rebuilding GCC bases, because of their obvious Iran capability to destroy them again a week later, they are further effectively admitting that the budget requests needed to overcome that incapacity can no longer be passed by congress.

    100 helicopters that have been getting a million dollars of maintenance a month. But in reality you got 50 “good enough” and 50 that literally can’t fly.

    This is a bigger, though newer, problem with F35. Lockheed clampdown on providing manuals to US army, and all service done through them, makes it an extremely expensive program. Low flight readiness ratio reflects the requirement to canibalize parts from some planes for the ones that fly. For decades, US weapons programs have been an oligarchy enrichment program to spend as much as possible, independent of security/capability enhancement.

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