DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Bell Helicopter Textron For 12 New U.S. Army OH-58D Helicopters

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Bell Helicopter Textron For 12 New U.S. Army  OH-58D Helicopters

Source: K. V. Seth - DTN News  & U.S. Department Of Defense No. 608-13 August 26, 2013

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 26, 2013: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Hurst, Texas, was awarded a $61,056,000 firm-fixed-price, no option, non-multi-year contract modification (P00046) to contract (W58RGZ-11-C-0016) for procurement of 12 new metal scout (OH-58D) helicopter cabins, 12 supplemental parts kits and associated over and above effort demands. 

Performance location will be 97 percent in Amarillo, Texas and 3 percent in Hurst, Texas, with funding from fiscal 2013 other procurement authority accounts. 

This contract was a non-competitive acquisition with one bid solicited and one bid received. 


The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal (Aviation), Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.

THE OH-58D  Kiowa Warrior
Proven in combat all over the world, the Bell OH-58D offers everything your mission requires in a scout helicopter: long-range day and night target acquisition, multi purpose quick-change kits, and multiple armaments with low infrared and acoustic signatures. And it can be armed and ready to fight less than 10 minutes after being off-loaded from a C-130. If the mission calls for truly exceptional war-fighting capabilities, the Bell OH-58D is always ready to answer the call.

  SPOTLIGHT
  FEATURES
Weapons Capability
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: 

• Hellfire and anti-tank missiles
• Hydra 70 rockets
• .50-caliber machine gun
Survivability & Crashworthiness
Like no other armed reconnaissance helicopter in the world, the OH-58D survives combat with a countermeasure suite, which includes:

• Infrared seeker jammer
• Pulse and CW radar warning receivers
• Laser warning detectors
• Inherent infrared suppression
Mast-Mounted Sight
The mast-mounted sight enables the Kiowa Warrior to fight both day and night, at the maximum range of its weapons systems - and with minimum exposure. The aircraft remains 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 mast include:

• High-resolution TV camera for long-range, low-light target detection
• IR thermal imaging sensor for navigation, target acquisition at night or under obscured conditions
• Laser rangerfinder for precise target location and guidance of armament
• Boresight assembly for quick in-flight sensor alignment
Engine Transmission and Rotor
The Kiowa's power train gives the speed, lift and maneuverablilty needed to endure battlefield conditions. Standard on the OH-58D are:

• 458 kw (650 shp) Allison turbine, proven on Bell's commercial model 206 LongRangers, which have amassed tens of thousands of flight hours
• "Ruggedized" transmission with a transient power capability of 475 kw (637 hp)
• Four-bladed main rotor system with all-composite, lifetime rotorblades capable of surviving shell hits up to .50 caliber
Cockpit Electronics
The OH-58D features:

• Video recorder for storing TV and thermal imagery from mission
• Cockpit playback capability
• Data transfer system with data-loading module for pre-mission storing of navigation waypoints and radio frequencies
• Night vision goggle flight reference symbology display
• Have-Quick UHF and SINCGARS FM anti-jam radio

• Displays to align and fire weapons systems

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth - DTN News  & U.S. Department Of Defense No. 608-13 August 26, 2013 
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Sikorsky To Build Superfast, Military-Grade S-97 RAIDER™ Helicopter

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Sikorsky To Build Superfast, Military-Grade S-97 RAIDER™ Helicopter

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Sikorsky Helicopters + Popular Mechanics
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - October 26, 2012: In 2009 Sikorsky Aircraft built the world’s fastest helicopter, the X2, which clocked in at nearly 287 miles per hour and earned a PM Breakthrough Award to boot. Since then, the company has been incorporating the technology into designs for a new helo—the Raider S-97—which it plans to offer it to the U.S. Army in 2015. 

Like the X2 Demonstrator, the S-97 will use a coaxial rotor system. Its two rotors spin in opposite directions to stabilize the helicopter at high speeds, allowing it travel twice as fast as conventional helos. The S-97 will be twice as large as the X2, weighing in at 11,000 pounds, and capable of climbing up to 10,000 feet. 

Sikorsky spokesperson Frans Jurgens told PM the S-97 would be able to hover with its nose pointed high or low without sliding backward or forward. "So it will have the ability to pirouette while keeping guns on-target," Jurgens says. "These are the kinds of maneuvers that only the X2 aircraft can achieve." The company plans to build the first two S-97 prototypes next summer and expects to get them off the ground beginning in late 2014. 

Sivorsky has proposed the S-97 as a replacement for the Army’s aging fleet of OH-58 Kiowa Warriors. But the company will have its share of competition, and those competitors have already built their aircraft, while Sikorsky’s S-97 remains a design. Still, Jurgens is confident, arguing that none of the rivals build anything as revolutionary as the S-97. "With X2 technology, you can go twice as fast and twice as high," Jurgens says. "Current scouts can fly over only 40 percent of Afghanistan, because the land is so mountainous. The X2 can cover 97 percent." 

In December the Army will decide whether to upgrade the existing Kiowa fleet or to launch an Armed Aerial Scout competition to find a replacement. 
Read more: Sikorsky to Build Superfast, Military-Grade Helo - Popular Mechanics 

Sikorsky Announces Supplier Team for S-97 RAIDER™ Helicopter Program

  WASHINGTON, Maryland - Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), has selected 35 companies to join its team assembling two prototype S-97 RAIDER™ helicopters for evaluation by the U.S. military. Self-funded by Sikorsky and its team members, the RAIDER program will demonstrate the military applications of Sikorsky’s break-through X2™ rotorcraft design, which proved its capability in 2010 to double the cruise speed of conventional helicopters.

Sikorsky announced its supplier team during the Association of the United States Army’s ILW Aviation Symposium and Exposition, National Harbor, Md.

“As designer and integrator of a next-generation light tactical helicopter capable of outperforming conventional helicopters in almost every performance parameter, it was imperative we chose our suppliers for the maturity of their advanced aerospace products and technologies,” said Doug Shidler, Sikorsky’s RAIDER program manager. “Product maturity will enable Sikorsky to demonstrate the RAIDER helicopter’s flight and aerodynamic performance in a simulated military environment starting in 2014, and ultimately bring X2-designed helicopters to future customers quickly and at a very affordable price.”

The majority of the RAIDER team members are U.S.-based companies from 20 states.

Structures: Aurora (Va., Miss.); Cytec (Calif., N.Y.); East/West Industries (N.Y.); Fischer (Germany); Hexcel (Conn., Utah); PPG (Calif.); Triumph Group (Wash.).

Avionics: Avionics Instruments (N.J.); BAE Systems (N.Y.); Eaton (Miss.); Esterline Control Systems (Calif., Ill., Wash.); Garmin (Kan.); Goodrich (Fla., Minn.); Hamilton Sundstrand (Conn.); Honeywell (Ariz.); Lockheed Martin (N.Y.); Northrop Grumman (Calif.).

Propulsion: Ametek (N.Y.); Ducommun (N.Y.); Eaton (Mich.); General Electric (Mass.); Honeywell (Ariz.); Liquid Measurement Systems (Vt.); Meggitt-USA (Ga., Calif.); Spectrum (Conn.); TIGHITCO (Conn.).

Rotors and transmission: Emerson-McGill (Ind.); Fatigue Technology (Wash.); FAG Canada; Goodrich (N.Y.); Hamilton Sundstrand (Conn., Ill.); Kamatics (Conn.); LORD Corp. (Pa.); Pankl Aerospace (Calif.); Parker Aerospace (Calif., Ga.); Schultz (Calif.); SIFCO (Ohio); Triumph Group (Utah, Mich.).

Blades: Cytec (Calif., N.Y.);Eagle Aviation Technologies (Va.); Hexcel (Conn., Utah); Rotating Composites (Conn.).

The RAIDER aircraft program follows Sikorsky’s successful X2 TECHNOLOGY™ demonstrator helicopter, which in September 2010 achieved more than 250 knots (287 mph) flight speed, or twice the average cruise speed of a conventional helicopter. The National Aeronautic Association awarded Sikorsky the 2010 Robert J. Collier Trophy for the achievement, and for its potential as a future rotorcraft technology.

Sikorsky will invest about 75 percent of the RAIDER program’s expected cost, with suppliers investing about 25 percent.

Like the X2 demonstrator aircraft, the single engine S-97 RAIDER helicopter will feature coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller to provide cruise speeds up to 220 knots (253 mph) with dash speeds up to 240 knots (276 mph) or higher.

“We anticipate these S-97 RAIDER prototypes will provide dramatic improvements over conventional helicopters in maneuverability, range, endurance, altitude and hover efficiency — in addition to speed,” said Chris Van Buiten, Vice President of Sikorsky Innovations, the advanced engineering and development division of Sikorsky Aircraft that has pioneered the X2 design. “These attributes of the RAIDER aircraft could very well change the way the U.S. military fights with helicopters.”

While the RAIDER aircraft will showcase the X2 design’s considerable airframe and flight characteristics, its configuration as a light tactical helicopter will enable Sikorsky to offer the aircraft as a candidate for the U.S. Army’s Armed Aerial Scout helicopter competition. The U.S. Army is seeking a new aircraft to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter.

With a maximum gross weight of approximately 11,000 lbs, the RAIDER helicopter will offer full operational performance at speeds and altitudes more than twice the capability of today’s light tactical helicopters.

The Raider cockpit will feature side-by-side seating for two pilots. For armed reconnaissance and light attack missions, the aircraft can host a variety of sensors and externally-mounted weapons, with the flexibility to carry additional fuel and ammunition for extended missions. In a light utility or special operations configuration, the helicopter cabin will carry up to six troops.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in aircraft design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning opportunities for development, production and sale of helicopters. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans, availability of funding and in the type and number of aircraft required; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Sikorsky Helicopters + Popular Mechanics
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News: U.S. Army Replacing Guns Of The OH-58H Kiowa Warriors

DTN News: U.S. Army Replacing Guns Of The OH-58H Kiowa Warriors *Source: DTN News / Defense Media By Scott R. Gourley (NSI News Source Info) - January 11, 2010: The U.S. Army is nearing completion on a machine gun replacement program that is providing a significant expansion of battlefield capabilities for the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet. U.S. Army Spc. Deren Stocks, assigned to 1st Aviation Cavalry Squadron, 230th Sustainment Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, stands by as his partner fuels a OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter at Forward Arming and Refueling Point, on Forward Operating Base Diamondback, near Mosul, Iraq, Dec. 4, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Pvt. 1st Class Ali Hargis Described as “the highest OPTEMPO aircraft in both Iraq and Afghanistan,” the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet recently passed the milestone of 550,000 combat flight hours in those two theaters. The Kiowa Warrior is a two-seat, single-engine, observation, scout/attack helicopter with four main rotor blades. It utilizes a thermal-imaging system and a laser rangefinder/designator in a mast-mounted sight situated above the main rotor system. The aircraft is equipped with a variety of weapon systems, including the Hellfire missile, 2.75-inch rockets, and a .50-caliber machine gun. The aircraft operates autonomously at standoff ranges, providing armed reconnaissance, command and control, and target acquisition/designation for Apache helicopters and other airborne weapons platforms in day, night, and adverse-weather conditions. The Kiowa Warrior was born more than two decades ago when urgent user needs led to the weaponization of the OH-58D observation helicopter. Since then, the Kiowa Warrior has been slated for replacement numerous times, the most recent being through projected fielding of the ARH-70A Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. However, cancellation of that ARH program in October 2008 prompted a re-look at new ways to expand system viability and sustain the Kiowa Warrior in Army fleets until 2025. One of the first new improvements to reach warfighters involved the replacement of the existing XM296 .50-caliber machine gun with the more capable M3P, which has an 1100 round per minute rate of fire, the ability to penetrate lightly armored vehicles, and an effective range of 1500 meters. Fortunately for program planners, the Army already had M3Ps in its inventory, as the gun used on the HMMWV-based “Avenger” air defense system. Avenger had reduced force structure requirements, which created a perfect “window of opportunity” for the Kiowa Warrior fleet. A recent industry exhibit provided the weapon manufacturer, FN Herstal, with an opportunity to spotlight the recent history and capabilities of the M3P. “Basically, we contracted about 10 years ago with the U.S. Army and Boeing to provide the weapon for the Avenger program,” explained David Toussaint, program management coordinator for weapon systems at FN Herstal. “At that time the Avenger had Stinger missiles and they wanted a coaxial .50 caliber machine gun. And the goal was to provide close protection of the Stinger launcher and be able to defend the station. So we provided the M3P with all of the bore-sighting and attachment systems.” Noting that the Army wanted to retain the M3Ps after Avengers left the inventory, he said, “The M3P has been installed in our pods for years with hundreds of integrations. And they realized that they needed a solution to give a better fire suppression capability to the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. Based on that, they integrated the M3P and its bore sighting system onto it.” The M3P was initially fielded to the 7/17th Cavalry Squadron in January 2009 prior to their deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom. Since that time the Kiowa Warrior Product Office has fielded the system to nine of its ten Kiowa Warrior squadrons. One recent senior leadership assessment credited the new machineguns with firing “over 1 million rounds in combat,” approximately three times the number of rounds fired on the old XM296. Program representatives note that the primary reasons for the increased use include a higher rate of fire, greater accuracy, and greater system reliability.

Iraqi Aircrew Flies Night-Vision Mission

Iraqi Aircrew Flies Night-Vision Mission

(NSI News Source Info) February 15, 2009: TAJI AIR BASE — An initiative that has been in the works since August 2008 is now a realization as members of the Iraqi Air Force continued their quest toward night-vision operations with the help of U.S. Air Force aircrews. Before flying as an all-Iraqi aircrew, Airmen from the 721st AEAS flew with the Iraqis, ensuring mission success. Members of the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisor Squadron, who train Iraqi aircrew members, relinquished controls to an Iraqi aircrew that flew their first all-Iraqi night-vision mission in an UH Huey, Feb. 8. "They have flown at night, but none of these guys have flown [using] NVGs [night vision-goggles], specifically the instructors we are training,” said Capt. Kevin Burns, 721st AEAS pilot advisor. “This gives the Iraqi Air Force a night operation capability that was previously non-existent.” Before flying as an all-Iraqi aircrew, Airmen from the 721st AEAS flew with the Iraqis, ensuring mission success. Lt. Col. Abbas, Iraqi 2nd Squadron training officer and pilot, said without the help of the U.S. advisors they wouldn’t be where they are today. Before taking off for the all-Iraqi aircrew flight, Burns, who is deployed from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., had to certify one last aircrew member in night mission aerial maneuvers. After being certified, the member joined Abbas, the lead instructor, to complete the milestone Iraqi flight. "The ultimate goal is to have one advisor that is not doing any training with them, and then eventually pulls out completely and the 2nd Squadron can fully self-sustain not only their day training, but their NVG missions as well,” said Burns. The Iraqi Air Force first acquired night-vision goggles in June 2008 and began their night training on American OH-58 Kiowa helicopters on loan from the Iowa National Guard.

Bell Delivers First Upgraded OH-58Ds Ahead Of Contract / Bell Helicopter Delivers First Nine Safety Enhancement Program OH-58Ds Ahead of Contract

Bell Delivers First Upgraded OH-58Ds Ahead Of Contract / Bell Helicopter Delivers First Nine Safety Enhancement Program OH-58Ds Ahead of Contract (NSI News Source Info) FORT WORTH, TEXAS - January 19, 2009: Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, closed out 2008 with delivery of the ninth OH-58D aircraft to be modified under the current Kiowa Warrior Safety Enhancement Program contract.

“We delivered a total of nine aircraft in 2008 – six more aircraft than were required by the contract schedule,” said Amy Tedford, Director of Military Fielded Systems at Bell Helicopter.

OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine, single-rotor, military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. Bell Helicopter originally manufactured the OH-58 for the United States Army, based on the 206A JetRanger helicopter. The Kiowa has been in continuous use by the U.S. Army since 1969. The latest model, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, is primarily operated in an armed reconnaissance role in support of ground troops. The OH-58 has been exported to Austria, Canada, Dominican Republic, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia; as well as having been produced under license in Australia.

“We’re keenly aware of the Army’s need to have additional OH-58D aircraft available for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Tedford, “and it’s been a real team effort by everyone involved in the Safety Enhancement Program to get these aircraft completed and back to the Army ahead of schedule.”

Bell’s Safety Enhancement Program (SEP) line had been closed down and put into storage after work was completed on the previous SEP lot in December 2007. As workers prepared to restart the line for Lot 11 in May 2008, they applied Textron Six Sigma processes and tools to accomplish a lean restart of the SEP line.

“The direct involvement of employees from every part of the process allowed Bell’s SEP team to significantly reduce the footprint for both assembly and flight operations, and to increase their aircraft production rate by fifty percent,” said Tedford.

The first aircraft completed by the team was delivered back to the Army on Sept. 24, 2008, two months ahead of contract schedule. Bell’s SEP team has maintained that lead and continues to deliver all completed SEP aircraft two months ahead of schedule.

A total of 27 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft are being upgraded in Lot 11 of the Safety Enhancement Program. The $30 million contract was awarded April 30, 2008. All work is being done at Bell Helicopter’s Plant 1 facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The 18 remaining aircraft in Lot 11 are planned to be completed in 2009.

The OH-58Ds are being upgraded with an improved engine and improved computer control systems that include related new wiring harnesses. The improvements are part of a series of safety and performance modifications the Army has implemented to keep the OH-58D armed reconnaissance helicopter safe and mission effective until it is retired.

The US Army fleet of Kiowa helicopters has accumulated more than 1.6 million flight hours and over 400,000 combat flight hours. Despite high usage rates, daily combat scenarios and harsh environmental conditions, the OH-58D continues to achieve readiness rates above 80 percent. Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tilt rotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.