Soldiers train for a downed aircraft scenario in the Middle East, Dec. 30, 2020.

All across the military, there is a rapid push to modernize. From new weapons systems to fast-paced tactical vehicles and even augmented reality goggles, the U.S. Armed Forces are being catapulted headlong into the technologically-advanced battlefield of the 21st century. But for every piece of new technology, there are scores of mission-critical machines that are still largely analog. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the U.S. Army’s fleet of helicopters.

Helicopters are at the heart of Army operations. From the load-bearing, double-rotored Chinook to the agile attack choppers such as the Cobra, Apache, and Little Bird, rotary-wing aircraft comprise a huge part of our military’s lethality and operational capabilities. But in a world of increasing focus on the virtual, Army helicopters represent an aging aspect of our war-fighting machine.

Read the the full report on Army helicopters here.