An AH-1Z costs about 4,500$ an hour to operate, a F-15E costs about 29,000$ an hour. Helicopters can operate from basically anywhere you can drive a fuel truck

An AH-1Z costs about 4,500$ an hour to operate, a F-15E costs about 29,000$ an hour. Helicopters can operate from basically anywhere you can drive a fuel truck to, jets not so much. You’re talking about a tilt rotor to replace a troop carrying helicopter, it’s a different role with different requirements. The AH-1Z is more like the A-10 warthog than a traditional jet fighter, and in the wars we’ve been in recently serves a similar role, close air support. To the Marines on the ground, they are indispensable. The airframes were “just” (in the terms that make sense for an airframe that has been in service since the late 60s) upgraded to 4 rotor with a number of other updates. Being able to literally point at the enemy and have the pilots see you and put ordinance where you are pointing… that is way way different than trying to call in strikes from jets or freaking arty as some people were saying.