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Bell 407

Bell · Utility/Transport · USA · Modern (1992–2009)

Bell 407 — Utility/Transport
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The Bell ARH-70 Arapaho was an American single-engine, two-seat armed reconnaissance helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter (now Bell Textron) for the U.S. Army Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) programme. Derived from the commercial Bell 407, it was intended to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in U.S. Army Cavalry Aviation Squadrons. Cost overruns and schedule slips killed the programme in October 2008. The Arapaho stands as one in a sequence of failed U.S. Army scout-helicopter efforts — alongside the cancelled RAH-66 Comanche (2004) and the FARA programme termination (2024) — that left the OH-58D without a successor.

Built on the Bell 407 airframe, the ARH-70 measured roughly 41 ft (12.6 m) in length with a 35-ft (10.7 m) main rotor. Empty weight sat near 2,800 lb and maximum take-off weight at 5,500 lb. Power came from a single Honeywell HTS900-2 turboshaft rated at about 970 shp — a step up from the commercial 407's standard engine. Top speed reached around 180 mph, with a typical combat radius of 200 nmi and a service ceiling of 16,000 ft. Armament featured a turret-mounted M134 7.62mm Minigun, 70mm Hydra 70 rocket pods carrying up to 14 rockets, and limited AGM-114 Hellfire carriage, paired with a redesigned cockpit and integrated mission systems for the armed scout role.

The Arapaho's primary task was to take over from the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in the scout / light-attack mission. Specific roles included reconnaissance and surveillance ahead of friendly ground forces, target-cueing for the AH-64 Apache and U.S. Army artillery, light attack against soft and point targets, and operations in moderately-permissive air-defence environments. Basing the design on the Bell 407 — in service since 1996 with strong commercial sales — was meant to amortise costs across the civilian production line.

The U.S. Army launched the ARH programme in 2005 to plug the OH-58D replacement gap left by the 2004 RAH-66 Comanche termination, and selected Bell as prime contractor that same year. Cost overruns and schedule delays accumulated through 2006-2008, and the compounded problems forced the October 2008 shutdown. Around 5 ARH-70 prototype airframes flew before the axe fell. Total programme spending reached roughly $1.4B USD over 3 years of development. The OH-58D soldiered on until its 2017 retirement, and the follow-on FARA programme (2018-2024) was itself terminated. Bell, meanwhile, kept the commercial Bell 407 line running and has delivered military 407-derivative variants to export customers including the Canadian CH-146 Griffon, the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and other operators.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Bell ARH-70 Arapaho was meant to be the U.S. Army's new scout helicopter. Bell took its civilian Bell 407 (a 7-seat helicopter used by news stations and tour companies) and added armor, weapons, and military electronics. The plan was to build 368 ARH-70s to replace the older OH-58 Kiowa Warrior.

The ARH-70 first flew in 2006. It used a Honeywell HTS900 engine making 980 horsepower, more than the civilian 407's normal engine. It carried a chin-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun, plus rockets and missiles. Top speed was 165 mph, faster than most cars on a highway.

But the program ran into trouble. The military version got heavier than planned, the engine could not handle the extra weight, and costs went up. The Army cancelled the ARH-70 in 2008. Bell had built only seven helicopters. The Army's scout helicopter mission has since been handled by drones and Apache helicopters.

Despite the ARH-70 cancellation, the civilian Bell 407 has been a big success. Over 1,500 have been sold worldwide for news, police, tour, and oil-rig work. The military version did not work out, but the civilian version is one of Bell's most popular helicopters of the 21st century.

Fun Facts

  • The Bell 407 is one of Bell's most popular civilian helicopters, with over 1,500 sold.
  • The military ARH-70 Arapaho was cancelled after only 7 were built.
  • ARH-70 weight problems ended the project in 2008.
  • News crews, police, and oil-rig workers fly the civilian Bell 407.
  • Top speed of the ARH-70 was 165 mph, faster than most cars on a highway.
  • Bell 407s have flown the Olympic torch and rescued lost hikers.
  • The 407 is based on the older Bell 206 JetRanger but with a stronger engine.

Kids’ Questions

Why was the ARH-70 cancelled?

When Bell tried to add armor, weapons, and military gear to the civilian 407, the helicopter became too heavy. The engine could not handle the extra weight. Costs went up and up trying to fix the problem. After billions of dollars spent, the Army gave up on the ARH-70 in 2008. The Bell 407 was just not big enough to be a military scout.

What is the civilian Bell 407 used for?

Bell 407s do many jobs. TV news crews fly them to cover stories. Police use them to chase criminals and search for missing people. Tour companies fly tourists over the Grand Canyon. Oil companies fly workers to ocean drilling rigs. Hospitals use them as medical helicopters. Over 1,500 are flying today around the world.

What scout helicopter does the Army use now?

The Army does not have a dedicated scout helicopter anymore. After the ARH-70 was cancelled in 2008 and the older Kiowa Warrior was retired in 2017, the scout mission has been handled by Apache attack helicopters and RQ-7 Shadow drones working together. The Army's new FARA scout program was also cancelled in 2024.

Variants

ARH-70 (sole prototype)
Sole prototype variant. About 5 airframes were built before the October 2008 termination, used for development testing from 2006 to 2008.
Bell 407 (commercial parent)
The commercial helicopter the ARH-70 was derived from. Over 1,500 Bell 407s have been delivered since 1996 to commercial and civil customers worldwide. The civilian production base provides cost amortisation for military 407-derivative variants.
Canadian Forces CH-146 Griffon (related)
Canadian Forces variant of the Bell 412 — a different model than the 407 but sharing Bell heritage. In Canadian Forces utility and training service since 1995.
FARA (subsequent programme, also cancelled)
U.S. Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft programme, launched in 2018 with the Bell 360 Invictus and Sikorsky Raider X as competitors. Cancelled February 2024 amid a broader U.S. Army doctrinal shift — another failed attempt to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior (predecessor)
The U.S. Army scout/attack helicopter the ARH-70 was meant to replace. Around 350 served with the U.S. Army from 1985 to 2017, soldiering on for nine years after the ARH-70 was killed. See the separate OH-58D entry.

Notable Operators

U.S. Army (planned, never fielded)
Planned operator. Roughly 512 ARH-70s had been programmed for U.S. Army service through the 2010s. Cancelled before any airframe entered frontline service.
Bell Helicopter (developer)
Sole 'operator' — Bell flight-tested the ARH-70 from U.S. Army test ranges between 2006 and 2008. After cancellation, the company continued commercial Bell 407 production.
U.S. Army Aviation Museum (preservation)
Some ARH-70 prototype components are preserved at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, AL, as a memorial to the killed programme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was ARH-70 cancelled?

Several compounding programme problems. Cost growth ran roughly 50% over the original estimate across three years of development. Initial Operational Capability — the formal U.S. Army fielding milestone — slipped from 2008 to 2010 or later. The prototype also failed to meet some Army performance requirements. Stacked together, those issues pushed the U.S. Army to cancel rather than press on. Total programme spend at the October 2008 termination came to about $1.4B USD. The decision left the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in service for another nine years and contributed to the trajectory that produced the subsequent — and also cancelled — FARA programme.

What replaced ARH-70?

Nothing directly. After the 2008 termination, the U.S. Army kept flying the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior until its 2017 retirement; the OH-58D retirement then left the service without a dedicated scout helicopter. The Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme ran from 2018 to 2024 to fill that gap, but FARA was cancelled in February 2024. Current U.S. Army doctrine pairs the AH-64E Apache with UAV systems for the scout/attack mission rather than fielding a dedicated scout helicopter — a doctrinal shift driven collectively by the ARH-70, OH-58D, and FARA outcomes.

How does ARH-70 relate to OH-58D?

The ARH-70 was the direct OH-58D Kiowa Warrior replacement. Both were single-engine scout/attack helicopters operated by U.S. Army Cavalry Aviation Squadrons. The Arapaho was meant to deliver upgraded mission systems and better performance while filling the same battlefield scout niche. With the 2008 termination, the U.S. Army was forced to keep flying the OH-58D for another nine years until its 2017 retirement — a situation that produced readiness friction during Iraq and Afghanistan operations.

Did Bell continue Bell 407 production?

Yes, extensively. The commercial Bell 407 has remained in production at Bell's Mirabel, Quebec, Canada facility, with heavy Canadian content reflecting Bell-Textron's Canadian operations. More than 1,500 commercial Bell 407s have been delivered through 2026, making it one of Bell's most successful commercial helicopters. Military 407-derivative variants have gone to export customers including the Canadian Forces and the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency — though none to the U.S. Army after the ARH-70 was shelved.

How much did ARH-70 cost?

About $1.4B USD in total programme spend at the October 2008 termination, accumulated over three years of development. The Army had planned to buy roughly 512 ARH-70s at an original target of about $8M USD per airframe; actual production cost was tracking near $15M USD per airframe — a 90% overrun that drove the kill decision. That $1.4B total is modest next to the subsequent FARA programme (around $2-3B before it was scrapped) and the RAH-66 Comanche (around $7.9B before it was scrapped), reflecting the Arapaho's earlier termination in the development cycle.

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