May 22, 2019 04:50 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
Latest update [?]
May 22/19: Hellenic Forces Greece received 70 Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopters and one Boeing CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift helo. The Hellenic Army purchased the OH-58Ds through the US Excess Defense Articles program. The shipment consists of 36 fully equipped aircraft, plus 24 that lack certain avionics, navigation, and communication equipment, and will be dedicated to training. The remaining 10 airframes are to be used for spares. Six of the helicopters came ready to fly. The deal for the Kiowa Warriors is valued at $44,2 million.
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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.
Displaying 223 of 12,823 words (about 33 pages)
AAS: Now What?
Timeline & Choices
AAS Competitors
ARH-AAS: Contracts & Events
FY 2019
FY 2014
FY 2013
FY 2012
FY 2011
FY 2010
FY 2009
FY 2008
FY 2007
FY 2005 – 2006
Appendix B: Initial Winner – Bell’s ARH-70
Appendix A: The ARH Program – What Happened?
Appendix B: Weary Warriors – From the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
to the OH-58F
The Long Bridge: OH-58(I) CDS4 & OH-58D(R)
The OH-58F
Additional Readings & Sources
Boeing’s AH-6 ARH
(click to view full)
OH-58D to OH-58AVX
(click to view full)
AAS-72X, final
(click to view full)
Sikorsky’s X2 tech
(click to view full)
MD-540F AAS Concept
(click to view full)
OH-58D: tipping point?
(click to view full)
X-97 Raider concept
(click to view full)
Fire-X 407
(click to view full)
EC645 concept
(click to view full)
Bell 407 ARH
(click to view full)
ARH-70A, testing
(click to view full)
ARH-70A Cockpit
(click to view full)
YRH-70
(click to view larger)
ANVIS/HUD
(click to view full)
Bell 407 at work
(click to view full)
ARH-70A testing
(click to view full)
ARH key capabilities
(click to view full)
RAH-66 Comanche
(click to view full)
YRH-70 w. Hydras
(click to view full)
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
(click to view full)
OH-58D over Tal Afar
(click to view full)
OH-58F concept
(click to view full)
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