Will It Take A Calamity For The Navy To Fix Its Obsolete Helicopter Training Program?

The Navy’s program to train helicopter pilots stands on the precipice of a major technical or human calamity. Because it is operating obsolescent, 35-year-old TH-57 helicopters that are increasingly difficult to maintain, it is only a matter of time before there is a major incident that brings this critical training operation to a standstill. The Navy has been planning to replace this dwindling fleet of helicopters since 2005. It is now 2017 and the Navy is not closer to finding a solution. It is time for a new approach, one that leverages best practices from the commercial world of aircraft fleet management. I have written about this critical issue for The National Interest here.