Finally some beauty involved! Thanks David!!

I'm surprised they are going after the Kiowa and Little Bird, both of which seem much less expensive and smaller. I fully endorse this technology, but it seems to be overkill for this particular mission.

So they call it the "Raider," eh? Evidently the traditional Indian names have come to an end. I suppose they don't want to risk the bad publicity the liberal press heaped on the Washing sports team. What a pity. I hate to see tradition bend to sociopolitical trends.

It is repulsive how there is always money available for the development of machines that kill people.

The OH-58D is already being retired due to a combination of age, obsolescence & sequestration forced budget cuts. The Army will be using AH-64D gunships & MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones (their version of the Predator) to temporarily fill the scout role. The AH & MH-6 are only used by the 160th Regiment. They get whatever they want that the Army can afford. They're expected to want the S-97 for it's high performance. Sikorsky is also using the S-97 to prove the technology for their bid for the Future Vertical Lift program (UH-60 replacement) that the Army regards as critical & more important than a new scout.

The Nazis had a very successful helicopter with counter-rotating inter-meshing rotors in WW2.I am surprised this technology has been used so little.It certainly cures the problem of retreating blade stall,making much higher speeds obtainable.

This aircraft is not a helicopter, this aircraft is the most advanced gyro-plane.

awesome helo.

can it carry 50 cal MG, 40mm, 20mm arms? Have civil apps IE Air Cargo Tourism Exec aside Defense

A machine gun with ONLY 500 rounds??? For battles lasting less than a few seconds? Rambo carried this much firepower. With the exception of the missiles, this sounds pretty lightly armed for any assault role. Half a dozen small drones would be cheaper. The only real advantage would be the speed.