HONOLULU—The Army says it’s going to cost $8 million to conduct helicopter training in Colorado because of a delay in obtaining a permit to train in Hawaii.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser () reported Wednesday the Army has already moved eight Black Hawks to Fort Carson, Colo., and plans to ship more choppers for high-altitude training that was hoped to be conducted on the Big Island.
The Army is completing a third environmental review to be able to train on six landing zones on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa before having to deploy to Afghanistan next year.
Opponents say the training interferes with endangered species habitat.
U.S. Army Pacific spokesman Col. Mike Donnelly says the recent deaths of 30 Americans in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan highlight the importance of the training.
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser,
