OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
Bell Helicopter · USA · first flew 1983 · reconnaissance aircraft
The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior is a heavily upgraded armed scout helicopter built around a ball-shaped mast-mounted sight that allows it to observe and designate targets while keeping the fuselage hull-down behind cover.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 12.6 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Large spherical mast-mounted sight sitting above a four-blade rotor
- Small cabin with flat-panel doors and weapon pylons on each side
- Tall main rotor mast gives a distinctive elevated sight-ball silhouette
The dominant recognition feature is the large spherical mast-mounted sight (MMS) perched above the rotor hub, unique among production helicopters. Weapon pylons on both sides of the slender fuselage typically carry Hellfire missiles, Hydra rockets, or a .50-calibre machine gun. The four-blade semi-rigid main rotor and T-tail with single fin distinguish it from earlier OH-58 variants.
Specifications
- The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior has a length of 12.6 m (41 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.67 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 237 km/h (147 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from the Bell OH-58C through the Army Helicopter Improvement Program (AHIP), the OH-58D first flew in 1983 and entered US Army service in 1985. The US Army fielded over 300 aircraft that served in Panama, the Gulf War, Somalia, the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Congress directed the retirement of the Kiowa Warrior fleet in 2014 as part of aviation restructuring, with the last US Army examples withdrawn by 2017.
Variants
OH-58D(I) interim version; OH-58D Kiowa Warrior production armed scout; a Multi-Mission Radar variant was tested but not adopted.
Where you'll see it
Served exclusively with the US Army as a armed scout; saw combat in every major US Army operation from 1989 onward. Operated in air cavalry and attack reconnaissance battalions alongside AH-64 Apaches, providing target acquisition and battle-damage assessment.
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