But I do want to note that there is a program out there in defense procurement land that is:

• On or ahead of budget.
• On or ahead of schedule.
• Appears to have no technical issues on the horizon.

It is the upgraded CH-53K, which has now had its schedule delayed by over two years.

What is going on here, I think is that the helicopter matches the V-22 in every capability except for speed, it carries more over short distances, and about the same over longer distances, it is more maneuverable in hover, and safer because it can autorotate.

Additionally, it is , and cheaper to buy and operate, and occupies less deck space than the Osprey, and the Marines with some justification, see it as a threat to their MV-22:

Slowing CH-53K development will keep the new helicopter out of the air (and prevent real-data comparisons between platforms) until after a second multi-year MV-22 contract gets signed in FY 2013. Even worse, slowing the CH-53K schedule raised the program price by at least $1.1 billion dollars, raising the per-unit price. The delay may also may dampen the enthusiasm of potential international buyers and give competing firms an opening to exploit this as yet unexplained delay in what was, once, a procurement showpiece. Why slow a program that stands to be a high-demand showpiece with potential markets in Israel, Germany, France, Turkey, Singapore and Taiwan?

Seriously, if we really care about our fighting men, and not about the future contracting gigs of generals, we have to put an end to this corrupt bullsh$#.