Bell ARH-70
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This article contains information about a scheduled or anticipated future aircraft.
It may contain preliminary or speculative information, and may not reflect the final version of the aircraft.
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| ARH-70 | |
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 The unarmed training version of the ARH-70 approaches Cairns Army Airfield at Fort Rucker |
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| Type | Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter Textron |
| Status | Under Development |
| Primary user | United States Army |
| Developed from | Bell 407 |
| Variants | Bell 417 |
The Bell ARH-70 is a U.S. Army Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), with a crew of 2 and optimized for urban combat. Currently in development, it will replace the Army's aging OH-58D Kiowa Warrior recon helicopters. It takes over part of the mission that the abandoned RAH-66 Comanche would have been responsible for. It is built with off-the-shelf technology and is based on the Bell 407, itself based on the Bell 206 from which the OH-58 was developed. While the name Arapaho has been used in some media, including an US Army press release,[1] to refer to the ARH-70, it has not been announced by the US Army as an official popular name.
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[edit] Development
By 2004, the U.S. Army had lost more than 30 of its 368 OH-58Ds through accidents and combat losses, many in Iraq. With the Comanche canceled and the OH-58D built on an aging Vietnam-era airframe, Army officials issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the ARH on December 9, 2004.[2]. In an attempt to avoid the protracted development and high cost of the Comanche, the ARH was to use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and reach operational status in four years. The goal: to have an operational unit of 30 helicopters and eight trainers ready by September 2008.
Two companies submitted bids[3]:
- Boeing proposed the upgraded version of the MH-6 Little Bird, the MH-6M Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB). Because the aircraft was already in service with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, it became the predictive favorite despite doubts that MD Helicopters Inc. (MDHI) could ramp up production to meet the contract's demands. To alleviate this concern, Boeing offered itself as the prime contractor with MDHI as a very critical subcontractor.
- Bell Helicopter Textron proposed an update of the OH-58D concept in a militarized version of the Bell 407, using a more powerful Honeywell HTS900 turbine engine and the Bell 427 tail assembly. This would allow the Army to use its existing OH-58 supply chain, a major consideration.
On July 29, 2005, Bell won a contract for 368 helicopters, with the first production vehicles to be delivered in mid 2007, and in the field by end of 2008.
By July 20, 2006, Bell had its first ARH-70A in test flights at its XworX development facility in Arlington, Texas.[4]
On February 21, 2007 one of the four ARH-70A test helicopters made a forced landing on a golf course near the development facility. The vehicle suffered a loss of power during its maiden flight and made an autorotational landing.[5]
On March 22, 2007 the U.S. Army issued a Stop Work notice, giving Bell thirty days to come up with a plan to get the ARH program back on track. Previous estimates for the System Development Demonstration portion of the program had grown from $210 million to over $300 million. Textron, Bell's parent company, notified investors that they could lose $2-4 million on each aircraft under the contract.[6] On May 18, 2007, the U.S. Army approved continuation of the ARH program.[7]
On July 25, 2007, the House Appropriations Committee’s Defense panel released its 2008 Pentagon budget in which, under the section entitled "Significant Cuts", listed: "Funding for [Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter] production is zeroed out because they are not ready to go into production. Research and development will continue." [8]
In January 2008, US government officials began working on export policy to allow international sales of the ARH-70. They expect orders to total over 1000 including the US Army ordering 512.[9]
[edit] Specifications (ARH-70)
Data from Bell ARH-70,[10] Bell 407[11]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2 pilots
- Capacity: six passengers
- Length: 34 ft 8 in (10.57 m)
- Rotor diameter: 35 ft 0 in 35 (10.67 m)
- Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
- Disc area: 962 ft² (89 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,598 lb (1,178 kg)
- Loaded weight: 5,000 lb (2,268 kg)
- Useful load: 1,868 lb (847 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 5,000 lb (2,268 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Honeywell HTS900-2 turboshaft, 970 shp (723 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 140 kts (161 mph, 259 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 113 kts (130 mph, 209 km/h)
- Range: >162 nmi (186 miles, 300 km)
- Service ceiling 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
Armament
- Guns: 1× GAU-19 .50 Gatling gun
- Rockets: Hydra 70 2.75 in rockets
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
- ^ Aviation Modernization Program to Field Lakota, Modify Current Helos
- ^ GlobalSecurity.org accessed 1 October 2007
- ^ Filling Comanche's Shoes
- ^ "ARH-70A First Flight!". Bell, July 20, 2006.
- ^ Aviation Week news article. Accessed 24 March 2007
- ^ US Army orders Bell to stop work on ARH and come up with new plan. Flight International. accessed 24 March 2007
- ^ Army to Continue with Bell Helicopter/Textron Inc. for Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
- ^ Talking Points On Milcon-Va Provisions In The Cr
- ^ "Daily News: Army Requests Hundreds of ARH-70As", Rotor & Wing magazine, January 23, 2008.
- ^ Bell ARH-70 page
- ^ Bell 407 specifications page
[edit] External links
- Official Bell ARH web page
- Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter page on Globalsecurity.org
- Urban Conflicts Shape New Recon Helicopter
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