Reinforcements are on the way for the Army's beleaguered scout helicopter units, thanks to a partnership between the Army and Bell Helicopter.
On Thursday, the Army delivered the first totally rebuilt OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout/attack helicopter to the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment at the Corpus Christi Army Depot.The helicopter is one of about 50 that the Army and Fort Worth-based Bell are slated to produce over the next five years to replace OH-58s taken out of service because of combat or accidents.With no purchases of new scout helicopters likely for years, the Army has long been maintaining and upgrading the heavily used OH-58 fleet and can now fill the holes with rebuilt aircraft."I believe this is really the path forward for Army aviation as we take care of the taxpayers and especially the soldiers in the field," said Col. Christopher B. Carlile, commander of the Corpus Christi aircraft repair and salvage operation.The aircraft delivered Thursday includes a cabin that Bell remanufactured at its Amarillo plant. To speed up replacements, the Army is having Bell rebuild about two dozen Vietnam-era OH-58A Kiowa cabins.Bell installs new wiring, sensors, cockpit controls and weapons systems -- which are often newer than what is on many OH-58s in the field.Bell finishes the cabins, then ships them to Corpus Christi, where Army mechanics install new or rebuilt engines, transmissions, rotors and other components. Bell produces the transmissions and rotors in Fort Worth.Bell is also preparing to build all-new OH-58 cabins as the second part of the Army's replacement program.The Army and Bell have a production system in place to deliver one rebuilt replacement aircraft per month, which Carlile called a good use of the Army's limited funding. They cost about $10 million each to rebuild, while a new model would cost several billion dollars to design and produce.Kiowa Warriors have been heavily used in Iraq and Afghanistan, often averaging more than 100 flight hours a month in extreme conditions. Lt. Col. Paul A. Cravey, commander of the Kansas-based 1st Squadron, said the Kiowa Warrior is what troops on the ground want when they need helicopter fire support.Bell built hundreds of OH-58s in Fort Worth and has upgraded many of them from the original A model to the more capable D model.The Army has launched a $2 billion plan to convert all of the D-model OH-58s to an even more capable F model.Bell has proposed a further upgrade that would include new engines, transmissions and rotors so it can fly higher, at hotter temperatures and with heavier loads.Bob Cox, 817-390-7723Twitter: @bobcoxictHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
