ARH-70 Arapaho | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Reconnaissance armed helicopter |
Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter |
Status | Canceled |
Number built | Four (prototypes) |
History | |
First flight | 20 July 2006 |
Developed from | Bell 407 |
The Bell ARH-70 Arapaho[1][2] 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.
Excessive delays and growth in program costs forced its cancellation on 16 October 2008, when the Department of Defense failed to certify the program to Congress. The ARH-70 was touted as having been built with off-the-shelf technology, the airframe being based on the Bell 407 (and as such was related to the OH-58).