This afternoon, at Corpus Christi Army Depot in Texas, the Army delivered this first upgraded Kiowa Warrior helicopter to a squadron as part of the Wartime Replacement Aircraft Program. The program converts older "A" versions of the Kiowa to more capable "D" models. (Army photo)HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Production of new Kiowa Warrior helicopters ended in 1999. So a team of Army offices on Redstone Arsenal, Corpus Christi (Texas) Army Depot and original manufacturer Bell Helicopter is updating older versions of the armed scout helicopter to replace the Kiowas lost in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The "Wartime Replacement Aircraft" program is replenishing the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet by taking aging "A" model cabins and upgrading them to "D" model capabilities - the "A2D" conversion program.
This afternoon, in Hangar 44, Corpus Christi Army Depot Commander Col. Christopher B. Carlile handed over the log books of the first WRA Kiowa to Lt. Col Paul A. Cravey, commander of an Air Cavalry Squadron from Fort Riley, Kan.
"For our squadron, it's especially beneficial," Cravey said. They returned from Iraq in March 2011. The Kiowa just delivered brings them to 20 aircraft, about two-thirds of their authorized strength.
In a teleconference this afternoon, Cravey described how last year, in just three weeks and with only nine available aircraft, he had to get 39 air crew members flight-qualified on the Kiowa guns and systems.
"We're still short, but every time an aircraft rolls out it reduces the strain on my maintenance personnel," he said. Those maintenance teams, while trying to have quality time back home with families, had to keep the limited number of Kiowas in the air for training, in "a 24-hour-a-day launch-recover-launch to meet our mission as we prepare to go out the door next time."
While various plans are being considered to replace the aging Kiowa Warrior, the two-man OH-58D will remain the primary air cavalry helicopter at least until 2025. In a separate program under way with the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center on Redstone Arsenal and other partners, upgrades are being developed to improve the radar, sensors. and other capabilities of the Kiowa to create an "F" model.
Fleet attrition continues to be a problem with an average of six lost per year, according to the Army. The Kiowa Warrior has logged more than 800,000 combat hours between Iraq and Afghanistan where it battles sand, snow and high altitudes while providing close support to ground troops.
The Army is approved for a complete fleet of 368 of OH-58D Kiowa Warriors, and is about 42 aircraft short. The WRA program will be able to supply approximately one updated Kiowa a month, at a cost of about $10 million each, to rebuild the fleet.
"This is the beginning of a bright future for our scout pilots and Army aviation. I am extremely proud of this team," said Lt. Col. Matt Hannah, Kiowa Warrior Product Manager in the Program Executive Office-Aviation at Redstone Arsenal.
How does the A2D model perform?
Chief Warrant Office 3 Aaron Posey, a maintenance test pilot, said the updated Kiowa is in the top 5 percent of the "real" D models he's handled, if not the best.
"It's very, very smooth flying," he said.