# End of an era...good bye, OH 58....



## Devildoc (Apr 13, 2016)

I put this here instead of somewhere else since the Kiowas are soon history......

Last Kiowa helicopter unit to fly at Fort Bragg on Friday :: WRAL.com


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## Etype (Apr 16, 2016)

I recently got to work with a Lakota unit.  All we used them for was some night sensor work, they cut the mustard although it wasn't particularly demanding.

I'm interested to see more feedback on the new choice.


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## SpongeBob*24 (Apr 16, 2016)

Good luck in South Korea....the amount of $$$$ to send them there must be worth it.


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## DA SWO (Apr 17, 2016)

I am concerned if the Lakota becomes the replacement, as the Lakota was sold to Congress as a CONUS use only aircraft for the NG (Post Disaster Relief, aka Katrina)


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## CDG (Apr 17, 2016)

Scout weapon teams were highly effective.  The Kiowa's MMS was an extremely useful tool and allowed for a different set of tactics than any other rotary wing platform we have.


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## Ooh-Rah (Apr 20, 2016)

Final formation -

A record formation of 30 Kiowa helicopters performed a farewell flight over Fort Bragg


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## Devildoc (Apr 20, 2016)

I have flown on the civilian version of the Lakota as a flight medic.  N0t as sexy as a Dauphin, not quite the work horse as a Bell 412.  It does what it is supposed to do.

I live in Durham, NC, we get Army helo traffic from time to time, last weekend a flight of three OH-58s flew by.  Always neat to see.


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## DA SWO (Apr 20, 2016)

Ooh-Rah said:


> Final formation -
> 
> A record formation of 30 Kiowa helicopters performed a farewell flight over Fort Bragg
> 
> View attachment 15300




I understand they are headed to Korea (or Iraq, depending on which press release is accurate), but it's still sad to see them go.


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## SpitfireV (Apr 21, 2016)

DA SWO said:


> I am concerned if the Lakota becomes the replacement, as the Lakota was sold to Congress as a CONUS use only aircraft for the NG (Post Disaster Relief, aka Katrina)



According to the always accurate Wiki, Congress in 2013 asked why it wasn't being used for the scout role so...


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## DA SWO (Apr 21, 2016)

SpitfireV said:


> According to the always accurate Wiki, Congress in 2013 asked why it wasn't being used for the scout role so...


and the Army responded.....

In May 2013, Congress questioned why the UH-72 had not been considered for the armed scout role. The Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno stated that the UH-72A was developed for domestic operations and is not considered to be operationally deployable to combat zones. The UH-72 is employed by the US Army National Guard in a utility role in the US, releasing UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to deploy overseas.[16] On 21 June 2013, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall stated in a letter to Congress that UH-72 combat modifications were "presently unaffordable." Fleet-wide combat modifications would reportedly cost $780 million and add 774 lb (351 kg) of weight per helicopter; changes would include passive and active survivability systems, hardened engines and drive train, external lighting and communications upgrades


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## SpitfireV (Apr 21, 2016)

My point being that if it was sold to Congress like that and later Congress are asking why not consider that role, then the original stipulation seems null.


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## SpitfireV (Apr 21, 2016)

The disagree button should come with a mandatory field that provides qualification...so why do you disagree?


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## DA SWO (Apr 22, 2016)

SpitfireV said:


> My point being that if it was sold to Congress like that and later Congress are asking why not consider that role, then the original stipulation seems null.


Have to disagree, because we don't know why Congress asked the question.
Did the company lobby for it, or was this just a why not question.  Asking a question about a weapon system doesn't automatically make that system capable of doing the new mission.


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## AWP (Apr 22, 2016)

There's a bunch of dead Afghans at the "hands" of an OH-58. I know they stopped a number of IEDs down south where their sensors could take advantage of the open spaces and range.


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## Etype (Apr 23, 2016)

Freefalling said:


> There's a bunch of dead Afghans at the "hands" of an OH-58. I know they stopped a number of IEDs down south where their sensors could take advantage of the open spaces and range.


Iraqis, too.


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## Etype (Apr 23, 2016)

I'd be interested to see them conducting some gunnery training. Unguided aerial munitions delivery is definitely an art, and the OH-58 guys got a lot of practice throughout the GWOT- hopefully they put some good dudes behind the stick.

*sorry for the double post*


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## Gunz (May 1, 2016)

The Marines never had them, nor the OH-6, but I saw plenty of both in VN. The 58As were a common site by 1970. I felt the same way when the 46s were retired recently. End of an era.


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