Armed Aerial Scout

Last updated

Armed Aerial Scout
General information
Project forArmed scout helicopter
Issued by United States Army
History
OutcomeCanceled
Predecessors Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
Successors Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft

The Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) was the planned replacement for the OH-58 Kiowa in United States Army service. This program resulted after the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter resulted in selection of the Bell ARH-70 Arapaho, but was ultimately not procured due to financial and other reasons, and the AAS program itself did result in a new design procurement. The next program lead to the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, which was also halted before procurement. Meanwhile the OH-58 was retired by the 2020s, leaving the Army to fill the gap with other types of aircraft and systems.

Contents

History

The Armed Aerial Scout program replaced the previous Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program, which chose the Bell ARH-70 Arapaho that was canceled due to cost overruns. An Analysis of Alternatives was conducted and a Request for Proposals was planned to be issued in 2014. [1] The U.S. Army had until December 2012 to decide whether to proceed with the program. [2] On 29 November 2012, Army officials decided to proceed with the Armed Aerial Scout program to acquire a new scout helicopter. [3] On 8 January 2013, the Army began redrafting the presentation for the service's vice chief of staff before they move ahead with a competition. Vice Chief of Staff General Lloyd Austin III requested more data from the voluntary flight demonstrations done on helicopter entries, as well as taking into account the pace of other technologies, such as unmanned capabilities and future sensors. [4] The Army concluded that its decision for the AAS program would result in either a new development effort or a service life-extension program (SLEP) for the OH-58F Kiowa.

Evaluations of commercial off-the-shelf designs were made from voluntary flight demonstrations in 2012. The five candidates included the OH-58F Block II, AH-6i, AAS-72X/X+, MD 540F, and AW139M (used for demonstration, with AW169 AAS offered as candidate). The Sikorsky S-97 Raider was offered, but no prototype was available for demonstration. Army evaluations concluded that no current aircraft met requirements. [5] A decision on the Armed Aerial Scout program was expected "in late summer or early fall" 2013. [6] Boeing had attempted to stop MD Helicopters from offering its MD 540F in the program, as it shared the same airframe design as Boeing's AH-6. In July 2013, MD Helicopters was allowed to continue to promote its offering in the program. [7]

In October 2013, the Army said that the AAS program was at risk of being delayed or canceled due to sequestration cuts. [8] The Armed Aerial Scout program ended in late 2013 with no alternative scout helicopter being selected for procurement. In 2012, Army leaders had thought a new aircraft was the best option. After sequestration in early 2013, the expected $16 billion cost of a new armed scout helicopter fleet was concluded to be too much. The Army then moved on with considerations for scrapping the entire OH-58 Kiowa fleet and moving more AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters to the active Army for use in the scouting role. AAS requirements for a scout helicopter with increased speed, range, payload, and the ability to fly 6,000 ft (1,800 m) high at 35 °C (95 °F) temperatures will remain and whether one will be bought will depend on aircraft availability and Army funds. Even if the competition is not reopened, the Army will develop a new scout helicopter as part of the Future Vertical Lift program. [9] [10]

Contenders

EADS AAS-72X concept ArmedScout-3.jpg
EADS AAS-72X concept
AVX's Kiowa Warrior-based concept AVX Armed Aerial Scout.jpg
AVX's Kiowa Warrior-based concept

Contenders have included:

AAS-72X
Bell OH-58F Block II
Boeing AH-6S
AgustaWestland AW109
Sikorsky S-97 Raider
OH-58D/AVX

Contenders by 2012

Candidate helicopters for interim replacement were to conduct flight demonstrations in spring 2012. [17]

The contenders as of June 2012 were: [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing AH-64 Apache</span> U.S. attack helicopter (1975–present)

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. Nose-mounted sensors help acquire targets and provide night vision. It carries a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 chain gun under its forward fuselage and four hardpoints on stub-wing pylons for armament and stores, typically AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. Redundant systems help it survive combat damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell OH-58 Kiowa</span> 1967 scout helicopter series by Bell Helicopter

The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine single-rotor military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. It was produced by the American manufacturer Bell Helicopter and is closely related to the Model 206A JetRanger civilian helicopter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche</span> Attack helicopter prototype (1996–2004)

The Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche is an American stealth armed reconnaissance and attack helicopter designed for the United States Army. Following decades of study and development, the RAH-66 program was canceled in 2004 before mass production began, by which point nearly US$7 billion had been spent on the program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell Textron</span> Aerospace manufacturer in the United States

Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, USA as well as commercial helicopters in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agusta A129 Mangusta</span> Family of attack helicopters by Agusta, later AgustaWestland

The Agusta A129 Mangusta is an attack helicopter originally designed and produced by Italian company Agusta. It is the first attack helicopter to be designed and produced wholly in Europe. It has continued to be developed by AgustaWestland, the successor company to Agusta. It has been exclusively operated by the Italian Army, which introduced the type to service during 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LHTEC T800</span>

The LHTEC T800 is a turboshaft engine for rotary wing applications. It is produced by the LHTEC, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Honeywell. The commercial and export version is the CTS800. The engine was primarily developed for the United States Army's cancelled RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter, but has found use in other applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell 407</span> Civil 7-seat utility helicopter

The Bell 407 is a four-blade, single-engine, civil utility helicopter. A derivative of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger, the 407 uses the four-blade, soft-in-plane design rotor with composite hub developed for the United States Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior instead of the two-blade, semi-rigid, teetering rotor of the 206L-4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MD Helicopters MH-6 Little Bird</span> Attack helicopter used in United States special operations

The Boeing MH-6M Little Bird and its attack variant, the AH-6, are light helicopters used for special operations in the United States Army. Originally based on a modified OH-6A, it was later based on the MD 500E, with a single five-bladed main rotor. The newest version, the MH-6M, is based on the MD 530F and has a single, six-bladed main rotor and four-bladed tail rotor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell ARH-70 Arapaho</span> Armed reconnaissance helicopter prototype

The Bell ARH-70 Arapaho was an American four-bladed, single-engine, light military helicopter designed for the United States Army's Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) program. With a crew of two and optimized for urban combat, the ARH-70 was slated to replace the Army's aging OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota</span> Light utility multipurpose helicopter

The EurocopterUH-72 Lakota is a twin-engine helicopter with a single, four-bladed main rotor. The UH-72 is a militarized version of the Eurocopter EC145, built by American Eurocopter, a division of Airbus Group, Inc. Several hundred UH-72 of various types have entered service by the 2020s since its introduction in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MD Helicopters</span> American aerospace manufacturer

MD Helicopters, LLC. is an American aerospace manufacturer. It produces light utility helicopters for commercial and military use. The company was a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft until 1984, when McDonnell Douglas acquired it and renamed it McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems. It later became MD Helicopters in 1999 after McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikorsky X2</span> Experimental high-speed compound helicopter

The Sikorsky X2 is an experimental high-speed compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, developed by Sikorsky Aircraft, that made its first flight in 2008 and was officially retired in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military helicopter</span> Helicopter which is built or converted for use by military forces

A military helicopter is a helicopter that is either specifically built or converted for use by military forces. A military helicopter's mission is a function of its design or conversion. The most common use of military helicopters is transport of troops, but transport helicopters can be modified or converted to perform other missions such as combat search and rescue (CSAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), airborne command post, or even armed with weapons for attacking ground targets. Specialized military helicopters are intended to conduct specific missions. Examples of specialized military helicopters are attack helicopters, observation helicopters and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender</span> Light utility and scout helicopter

The McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD 500 Defender is a light multi-role military helicopter based on the MD 500 light utility helicopter and OH-6 Cayuse Light Observation Helicopter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing AH-6</span> Type of aircraft

The Boeing AH-6 is a series of light helicopter gunships based on the MH-6 Little Bird and MD 500 family. Developed by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems, these include the Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) demonstrator, the A/MH-6X Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB), and the proposed AH-6I and AH-6S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikorsky S-97 Raider</span> American high-speed scout and attack compound helicopter

The Sikorsky S-97 Raider is a high-speed scout and attack compound helicopter based on the Advancing Blade Concept (ABC) with a coaxial rotor system under development by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky planned to offer it for the United States Army's Armed Aerial Scout program, along with other possible uses. The S-97 made its maiden flight on 22 May 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future Vertical Lift</span> A planned family of US military helicopters

Future Vertical Lift (FVL) is a plan to develop a family of military helicopters for the United States Armed Forces. Five different sizes of aircraft are to be developed, sharing common hardware such as sensors, avionics, engines, and countermeasures. The U.S. Army has been considering the program since 2004. FVL is meant to develop replacements for the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters. The precursor for FVL is the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) helicopter program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AgustaWestland AW169</span> Twin-engine light utility helicopter

The AgustaWestland AW169 is a twin-engine, 10-seat, 4.8t helicopter developed and manufactured by the helicopter division of Leonardo. It was designed to share similarities with the larger AgustaWestland AW139 and AgustaWestland AW189.

The Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program was initiated by the United States Army in 2018 to develop a successor to the Bell OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopter as part of the Future Vertical Lift program. The OH-58 was retired in 2017; three prior programs for a successor were cancelled prior to reaching production: Light Helicopter Experimental, Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, and Armed Aerial Scout. Several billions of dollars were spent without delivering any new helicopters to service, due to this cycle of development and cancellation. During this time the armed scout role was filled primarily by the Vietnam-era OH-58, which was finally retired in the late 2010s, leaving the Army to use attack helicopters to fill in this role.

References

  1. ↑ Tony Skinner (25 October 2010). "AUSA 10: Sikorsky unveils the 'Raider' X2". Shephard Group Limited. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  2. ↑ AUSA: Bell starts OH-58 Block II flight demo. flightglobal.com
  3. ↑ "U.S. Army officials said to back new scout helicopter". Reuters.com, 30 November 2012.
  4. ↑ Kiowa Replacement Inches Closer To Fruition Archived 23 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine - Aviationweek.com, 9 January 2013
  5. ↑ Drwiega, Andrew. "Proceed with Caution: JMR Tech Demo Phase 1 Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine " Aviation Today , 1 November 2013. Accessed: 5 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Army Confirms AAS Will Be New Start Or OH-58 SLEP" Archived 23 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine - Aviationweek.com, 10 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Lynn Tilton Bests Boeing in Helicopter Arbitration" [ permanent dead link ] - Justhelicopters.com, 25 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Army Considers Killing Ground Combat Vehicle Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine - DoDBuzz.com, 21 October 2013
  9. ↑ "Outgoing General: US Army Must Continue To Fund Research and Development" - Defensenews.com, 14 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Army Debates Divestment of Kiowa Warrior; Replacement Program in Doubt" Archived 19 January 2014 at archive.today - Nationaldefensemagazine.com, 14 January 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Armed Aerial Scout 72X - Press Release". Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  12. ↑ Trimble, Stephen. "Sikorsky unveils mock-up X2 armed scout". Flightglobal, 4 May 2009.
  13. ↑ Coaxial contenders for US Army armed aerial scout - Australian Aviation
  14. ↑ Brannen, Kate. "Sikorsky Plans To Build Two X2 Helo Prototypes" [ dead link ]. Defense News, 20 October 2010.
  15. ↑ Product History OH-58D/AVX Archived 29 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ AVX Fact Sheet[ Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ Butler, Amy. "New Army Helo A Tough Choice Amid Belt-Tightening" (subscription article). Aviation Week & Space Technology, 23 January 2012.
  18. ↑ Army begins tour of Armed Aerial Scout suitors - Army Times, 27 June 2012
  19. ↑ AgustaWestland is In -- But is There an AAS Program? Archived 2 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine - Aviationweek.com, 12 April 2013
  20. ↑ "MD Uncovers ‘Lethal’ 540F" Archived 8 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine . Aviation Today.com
  21. ↑ "AgustaWestland demonstrates AW139 for US Army AAS programme". army-technology.com, 5 July 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.