Bell OH-58 Kiowa
-is a family of single-engine single-
rotor military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. It was produced by the American manufacturer
Bell Helicopter and is closely related to the
Model 206A JetRanger civilian helicopter.
The OH-58 was originally developed during the early 1960s as the
D-250 for the
Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). While the rival
Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was picked over Bell's submission in May 1965, the company refined its design to create the Model 206A, a variant of which it successfully submitted to the reopened LOH competition two years later. The initial model, designated by the service as the
OH-58A, was introduced in May 1969. Successive models would follow, often with uprated engines, enhanced protection systems, and other improvements, cumulating in the
OH-58F. Additional improvements, such as the
OH-58X, were proposed but ultimately not pursued.