Editing Bell OH-58 Kiowa (section)

===Army Helicopter Improvement Program (AHIP)===
The Army's decision to acquire the NTSH resulted in the "Army Helicopter Improvement Program (AHIP)". Both Bell Helicopter and Hughes Helicopters redesigned their scout aircraft to compete for the contract. Bell offered a more robust version of the OH-58 in their ''Model 406'',<ref name="tri-2">{{cite web |url= http://tri.army.mil/LC/CS/csa/aahist3.htm#AHIP |title= Historic U.S. Army Helicopters |access-date= 14 April 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070224030112/http://tri.army.mil/LC/CS/csa/aahist3.htm#AHIP |archive-date= 24 February 2007 |url-status= dead}}</ref> and Hughes offered an upgraded version of the OH-6. On 21 September 1981, Bell Helicopter Textron was awarded a development contract.<ref>{{cite web |first1= Robert S. |last1= Fairweather Jr. |first2= Grant |last2= Fossum |title= The AHIP: Field Artillery Aerial Observer Platform of the Future |publisher= Field Artillery Magazine |date= July–August 1982 |url= https://sill-www.army.mil/famag/1982/JUL_AUG_1982/JUL_AUG_1982_PAGES_14_17.pdf |url-status= live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123203331/http://sill-www.army.mil/famag/1982/JUL_AUG_1982/JUL_AUG_1982_PAGES_14_17.pdf |archive-date= November 23, 2016}}</ref><ref name="cmh-1981-11">{{cite book |chapter-url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1981/ch11.htm |chapter= Research Development and Acquisition |url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1981/index.htm#Contents |year= 1988 |title= Department of the Army Historical Summary, 1981 |publisher= [[United States Army Center of Military History]] |access-date= 14 April 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071214152148/http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1981/index.htm#Contents |archive-date= 14 December 2007 |url-status= dead}}</ref> On 6 October 1983, the first prototype performed its maiden flight,<ref name="Jackson-1"/> and the aircraft entered service two years later as the OH-58D.<ref name="cmh-1986-04">{{cite book |chapter= Modernizing and Equipping the Army |chapter-url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1986/ch04.htm |title= Department of the Army Historical Summary, 1986 |url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1986/index.htm#Contents |year= 1995 |first= Terrence J. |last= Gough |publisher= [[United States Army Center of Military History]] |access-date= 30 June 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100921164541/http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1986/index.htm#Contents |archive-date= 21 September 2010 |url-status= dead}}</ref>

Initially intended for attack, cavalry, and artillery roles, the Army only approved a low initial production level and confined the OH-58D's role to field artillery observation. The Army also directed that a follow-on test be conducted to further evaluate it due to perceived deficiencies. On 1 April 1986, the Army formed a task force at Fort Rucker, Alabama, to remedy deficiencies in the AHIP.<ref name="cmh-1986-04"/> During 1988, the Army had planned to discontinue the OH-58D and focus on the LHX; however, Congress approved $138 million to expand the program, calling for the AHIP to operate with the Apache as a hunter/killer team; the AHIP would locate targets and the Apache would destroy them in a throwback to the traditional OH-58/AH-1 relationship.<ref name="cmh-1988-04">{{cite book |chapter-url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1988/ch04.htm |chapter= Modernizing and Equipping the Army |url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1988/index.htm#Contents |title= Department of the Army Historical Summary, 1988 |publisher= United States Army Center of Military History |year= 1993 |first= William Joe |last= Webb |access-date= 30 June 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100921164855/http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1988/index.htm#Contents |archive-date= 21 September 2010 |url-status= dead}}</ref>

The Secretary of the Army directed instead that the aircraft's armament systems be upgraded, based on experience with Task Force 118's performance operating armed OH-58Ds in the Persian Gulf in support of [[Operation Prime Chance]], and that the type be used primarily for scouting and armed reconnaissance.<ref name="cmh-1989-11">{{cite book |chapter= 11. Modernization: Research, Development and Acquisition |chapter-url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1989/CH11.htm |title= Department of the Army Historical Summary, 1989 |url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1989/Index.htm#TOC |publisher= [[United States Army Center of Military History]] |year= 1998 |first= Vincent H. |last= Demma |access-date= 30 June 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100921164900/http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1989/Index.htm#TOC |archive-date= 21 September 2010 |url-status= dead}}</ref> The armed aircraft would be known as the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, denoting its new armed configuration. Beginning with the 202nd aircraft (s/n 89-0112) in May 1991, all remaining OH-58Ds were produced in the Kiowa Warrior configuration. During January 1992, Bell received its first retrofit contract to convert all remaining OH-58Ds to the Kiowa Warrior configuration.<ref name="Jackson-1"/>