Comanche’s Wi’ane: No New Armed Scout Helicopter

YRH-70 test, 2005 (click to view full) The US Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) program aimed to replace around 375 Bell Textron OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, after the $14.6 billion RAH-66 Comanche program, was canceled in 2004. Instead, the Army would buy a larger number of less expensive platforms, with reduced capabilities. Bell Helicopter Textron initially won the ARH competition with a militarized version of its highly successful 407 single-engine commercial helicopter, but despite significant private investment after Army funding stopped in March 2007, spiraling costs killed the ARH-70 in October 2008. What hasn’t changed is the battlefield need for on-call, front-line aerial surveillance and fire support. With its existing OH-58D stock wither wearing down, or shot down, the Army needs to do something. But what? The eventual answer: scrap the Kiowa fleet for a combination of attack helicopters and UAVs. AAS: Now What? Timeline & Choices Boeing’s AH-6 ARH (click to view full) Canceling the ARH program didn’t cancel the battlefield need for a machine that did its job. At present, the US Army believes that OH-58F upgrades to the existing OH-58D helicopter fleet would allow them to field the 1st unit in FY 2016, and would cost between […]