Spare parts would also be an issue in 2000.
I went to a local airshow a couple of months back and a CH-53 crew chief said it took like 60 man-hours of maintainance for every hour flying. If you don't have the spare parts to make repairs, your bird is grounded. After the manufacture of new spares comes to a halt in late '97, the only way to get spares is to cannibalize other birds. Over time, you'd have very few operational helis left, even if fuel for them was available.
On the other hand, I think helicopter gunships and/or CAS aircraft like the A-10 or SU-25 would be more valuable in 2000 than the "fast movers" like the F-16, F-15E, and Tornado IDS. With the state of things in 2000, I just think direct battlefield support would be a bigger priority and a better investment than interdiction and deep strike.
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