Not sure I'd call it "luxury".
The USMC efforts at developing armed helicopters were hampered mostly by equipment (early helos had a pretty poor lift capacity and range) and budget.
From what I've gathered one of the main hindrances to the US Armys efforts was the US Air Force
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Suhiir - Wargame Junkie
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe." - Albert Einstein