Demands of the battlefield change quickly. And the Armed OH-58D Kiowa Warrior changes with them. One minute, it's hunting tanks with its mast-mounted sight and electronic cockpit. The next minute, it's engaging enemy aircraft from the maximum standoff range of its advanced weapons systems. Anti-personnel and anti-materiel are also in its repertoire. And it can be easily configured for several peacetime roles, including cargo carrying and drug interdiction. The fact is, for a variety of important missions, the Armed OH-58D is uniquely qualified. No other helicopter can match its combination of firepower, survivability and target acquisition.

The OH-58D Warrior offers significant advantages to commanders, as well as to crews. Two Armed OH-58Ds can be rapidly deployed in a C-130 to anywhere in the world. The helicopter's versatile weaponry makes it a lethal counter to most any conventional threat. And since some tactical units can meet all their helicopter requirements with just OH-58D Warriors, overall costs can be lowered and ground support greatly simplified.

Versatility. Survivability. Deployability. A lethal punch. These describe what the weapons systems of the future must be. And what the Armed OH-58D offers today.

The mast-mounted sight enables the Kiowa Warrior to fight both day and night, at the maximum range of its weapons systems, with minimum exposure. The aircraft can remain concealed during all but a few seconds of an autonomous engagement, making it considerably more survivable than gunships with nose mounted sensors.

Systems inside the sight include a high-resolution TV camera for long-range, low-light target detection and designation, an IR thermal imaging sensor for navigation, target acquisition and designation at night or under obscured conditions, and a laser rangefinder/ designator. All systems are used for precise target location/ guidance of HELLFIRE missiles and Copperhead artillery rounds or handoff to AH-64 Apache for Hellfire remote missile engagements.

The Armed OH-58D has the most advanced integrated cockpit of any helicopter of its type. Crews operate in an environment of abundant information and ergonomic ease. So workload is low. And mission success rates are high.

First all-glass cockpit on a U.S. Army helicopter utilizes primary multifunction displays which provide vertical and horizontal situation information, communications control and mast-mounted sight video.

Switches positioned on handgrips let crew select weapons, radio frequencies and displays without releasing flight controls. Onboard computation for laser ranging and target location to within 10 meters. Airborne target handover system provides digital target input to the artillery fire control computer center and airborne platforms in millisecond databursts.

The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior features a video recorder for storing TV and thermal imagery from mission, with cockpit playback capability. Data transfer system with data-loading module for pre-mission storing of navigation waypoints and radio frequencies.

The Armed OH-58D's power train gives it the speed, lift and maneuverability needed to endure battlefield conditions. The Armed OH-58D's power train has been upgraded to ensure excellent hot-day performance with even the heaviest weapons package. Standard on the OH-58D are the 485 kw (650 shp) Allison turbine, proven on Bell's commercial model 206 LongRangers, which have amassed tens of thousands of flight hours. A ruggedized transmission with a transient power capability of 475 kw (637 hp)routes power to the four-bladed main rotor system with all-composite, lifetime rotorblades capable of surviving shell hits up to .50 caliber.

Weapon Systems: The Armed OH-58D's universal weapons pylons offer quick-change selection of the helicopter's diverse weapons systems. Each of the helicopter's two pylons can be armed with any of the following: Air-to-Air Stinger missle, 2.75 Folding Fin Aerial Rockets, Hellfire Anti-Tank Missle and .50 caliber Machine Gun restricted to the left side. Flexible firepower enables the Kiowa Warrior to effectively engage both hard and soft targets, static or stationary, on the ground or in the air.

Aircraft Survivability Equipment: Armed OH-58D improved-production aircraft will provide both active and passive protection against threats through use of the following survivability equipment: Infrared seeker jammer, Pulse and Continuous Wave radar warning receivers, Laser warning detector and later Inherent infrared suppression.

The Armed OH-58D's Reliability: It Wins Respect, Awards and Battles. As the world's most experienced manufacturer of military helicopters, Bell is renowned for reliability. The Armed OH-58D will only solidify that reputation. Already, the helicopter has demonstrated and sustained combat mission/system reliability exceeding 90%, the highest readiness rate of any aircraft in the U.S. Army fleet.

The Armed OH-58D has won the overwhelming approval of its commanders and crews. It has also won several professional association accolades. These include the Army Aviation Materiel Readiness Award, given to Bell for efforts in arming and supporting the OH-58D for its contingency missions. And the prestigious Daedalian Weapon System Award, presented to the Army for the most outstanding weapons system used by the service.

Finally, the Armed OH-58D has won at the most critical time: during actual combat. The helicopter was highly effective during Desert Storm and other recent U.S. Army actions.

Future operations will most assuredly call for a helicopter that combines versatile firepower, survivability and long-range surveillance capability. And today, the Armed OH-58D is uniquely qualified to answer that call.

1/17 CAV/1-82 AVN Ft Bragg,NC    Charles Franquet    cfranquet@bellhelicopter.textron.com

2-17 CAV Ft Campbell, KY         Bill Schuck         bschuck@bellhelicopter.textron.com 

4/3 ACR Ft Carson,CO             John Self           jself@bellhelicopter.textron.com

3/17 CAV/1-10 ATK Ft Drum, NY    Michael Brisson     mbrisson@bellhelicopter.textron.com

1-10 CAV Ft Hood, TX             John Currier        jcurrier@bellhelicopter.textron.com

21 CAV/1-7 CAV Ft Hood, TX       Steve Myra          smyra@bellhelicopter.textron.com

4/2 ACR Ft Polk, LA              John Wilde          jwilde@bellhelicopter.textron.com

3-7 CAV Ft Stewart, GA           Tommy Tompkins      ttompkins@bellhelicopter.textron.com

1-1 CAV/1-4 CAV Germany          Larry Preston       lpreston@bellhelicopter.textron.com

3-4 CAV Hawaii                   Tom Coleman         tcoleman@bellhelicopter.textron.com

4-7 CAV Korea                    Mike Bebber         mbebber@bellhelicopter.textron.com  
                                    
C/1-185 AVN Tuepelo, MS          Tony Karpinski      tkarpinski@bellhelicopter.textron.com