Today in WW II: 9 Jul 1940 Battle of Calabria [Battle of Punta Stilo, the toe of Italy] fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British/Australian Royal Navies, 30 miles [48km] east of Punta Stilo. More ?

9 Jul 1943 US-British invasion of Sicily begins [night of 9-10 Jul].
9 Jul 1944 British and Canadian forces capture Caen from the Germans, a critical post-D-Day objective in Normandy, France.
9 Jul 1944 US forces reach the northern end of Saipan, finding thousands of Japanese civilian men, women, and children who commit suicide by leaping off the cliffs rather than be captured.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Bell Textron ARH-70A Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter

The Bell Textron ARH-70A Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter is a militarized version of the Bell 407 single-engine light helicopter, modified to meet the Army's ARH program goals. The mission of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) is to provide a robust reconnaissance and security capability for the Joint Combined arms air-ground maneuver team. The ARH is a combination of a modified off-the-shelf airframe integrated with a non-development item mission equipment package. The ARH will be fielded to support forces in the Global War on Terror and will possess the growth potential to bridge the capability gaps to Future Combat Force. The ARH will be a direct replacement for the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet, with fielding expected to begin in 2010.

The Army Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter ARH-70A, developed by the Program Executive Office, Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, AL, completed its first flight at Bell XworX in Arlington, TX, on 20 July 2006. The ARH-70A will be a dual crewstation, single-pilot-operable aircraft capable of operating worldwide in all airspace. The standard armed reconnaissance configuration will include the sensor assembly, active and passive countermeasures, external weapon systems, and communication suite. The ARH will be able to communicate on the battlefield with Army, Joint, and Coalition forces.

The Bell ARH-70A excels in low-hovering areas of urban street fighting and two ARH’s can be deployed from a C-130 in 15 minutes. The Bell ARH-70A also has more space and weight available for fuel, ammunition, and troops. The Bell ARH-70A is powered by the 925 shp Honeywell HTS900 turbine engine equipped with a sophisticated dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system, based on U.S. Army T800 technology.

In addition to advanced navigation, communications, survivability, targeting and C2 systems, weapons systems on the ARH-70A platform include:

GAU-19 (.50 cal) or GAU-17 (7.62mm)
2.75" FFAR
AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles

Bell Textron ARH-70 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
Bell Textron ARH-70A Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. Photo courtesy Bell Textron.

Bell Textron ARH-70 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
Bell Textron ARH-70A Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.