The Department of Defense (DoD) could save approximately a billion tax dollars by consolidating all DoD Undergraduate Helicopter Pilot Training (UHPT) programs. The DoD currently operates two separate UHPT programs: the Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and the Navy UHPT program at Whiting Field, Florida. Since 1965, proposals have been made to consolidate the two programs to eliminate redundancy and increase DoD efficiency. For years, Congress has reviewed the proposals and has voted against consolidation primarily because of the differences in training requirements of the two services. The primary difference between the two programs is the Navy requirement to train all Navy/Marine pilots in fixed-wing aircraft prior to training in helicopters. Nearly 20 major independent studies have been conducted by the Services themselves, the DoD Inspector General, the Interservice Training Review Organization, the Government Accounting Office, and the Commission on Roles and Missions to evaluate the potential and feasibility of consolidating UHPT. With only a few exceptions, the studies and reports concluded that the Navy should discontinue training helicopter pilots in fixed-wing aircraft and supported consolidation of all UHPT. Congress has continued to vote against consolidation. This year, the DoD signed a $7 billion contract to build 711 new fixed-wing training aircraft for the Air Force and the Navy: the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS). The Navy is scheduled to receive 339 JPATS, of which approximately 97 will be used to train helicopter pilots. The cost of the 97 aircraft is $955 million. At the same time, the Army, which operates approximately 80% of the DoD helicopter fleet, reports that its Aviation Center at Fort Rucker is operating at approximately 70% training capacity and is capable of handling all DoD UHPT.


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