The Beginning of the End: Are U.S. Navy Helicopters Still Relevant?
Abstract
U.S. Navy helicopters emerged as an innovative concept during World War II and have been a major component of naval aviation for over 70 years. Despite consistent support and a surge of resources at the turn of the 21st century, new concepts - such as the "Carrier Air Wing of the Future," which reduces the helicopter footprint within the carrier air wing by over 30 percent - appear to signal that the Navy is moving on from helicopters. What explains the U.S. Navy's apparent deemphasis of the helicopter community? This thesis addresses and seeks to explain this apparent deemphasis by analyzing the Navy helicopter community through five models of military innovation studies. Ultimately, this thesis finds that no single model provides a sufficient explanation. Instead, the Navys treatment of helicopters is a result of the combined dynamics and interaction of all five models. Finally, this thesis provides several recommendations for future Navy policy toward helicopters.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1164466
Entities
People
- Philip D. Pretzinger
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School