The Future Warrior

The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior has been on the front lines fighting next to the ground commander for the last decade. In an effort to bring the fleet back to full strength, the Army has initiated a Wartime Replacement Aircraft program. For this initiative, Bell Helicopter has begun building cabins, complete with new wiring harnesses, that will then be delivered to Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) for final assembly as an operational aircraft and integration back into the fleet.

In order to maintain combat effectiveness, the Army has also initiated an OH-58F upgrade program. The F model program will infuse technology into the combat-proven Kiowa platform. With a new Nose Mounted Sensor, new Control and Display Sub-system 5 (CDS-5), three new color displays, dual channel FADEC, and integrated Level II MUM-O, the OH-58F is the “Next Generation of Kiowa” that will continue to take the fight to the enemy.

Building upon the technology infusion of the F model, Bell Helicopter’s Block II proposes performance enhancements to the F model that will take the Kiowa Warrior to new heights. With a new Honeywell HTS900 engine, new lightweight/high-horsepower transmission, new rotor, and a 427 tailrotor, the Block II can achieve 6k/95 performance at Max Gross Weight. Bell is developing two Block II demonstrators in order to prove out the technology and capability of flying high/hot on a Kiowa Warrior platform.