15mm EOVX-8B Blackfoot

An extension of the Arapaho/Pueblo fanjet family, the EOVX-8B Blackfoot was developed by Bell's Amarillo division for the Republic of Texas Marine Corps as a militarized version of the Bell 608 light utility fanjet. It was purchased in quantity by the UCSA Army shortly thereafter, as part of the recapitalization of the UCSA's scout fanjet fleet.

The EOVX-8B fully integrates the UTEP Increment III (Uprated Turbine Engine Program, also known as UTEP-3) high-power small engine onto the Pueblo airframe for the first time. UTEP Increment I and Increment III engines were fielded on the Arapho fleet almost immediately after that type's deployment. Early tests of the UTEP-3 on the Pueblo resulted in airframe vibration fatigue issues that required significant and costly modification to address, preventing widespread deployment with the Pueblo fleet and resulting in the power problems that have plagued the Pueblo from its entry into service.

The Blackfoot was designed from the outset with UTEP-3 structural compatability and an improved aerodynamic design. The Pueblo's large passenger bay was shortened, and in the case of the B-model Blackfoot, faired over for use as an avionics and weapons bay. A quartet of AGM-124 LAGMs is usually carried in the port weapon bay, and the starboard gun pod typically mounts either a minigun or .338 heavy machine gun. A PGRS "trapeze" launcher based on the internal bay unit available for the Arapaho is also in field trials. Notably, the B-model incorporates a powerful jamming suite, allowing it to provide stand-in escort jamming. It also mounts an outsize electro-optical sensor turret above the cockpit, which nicely complements the ARVX-1B Arapaho's mast-mounted Honeywell 770 ground surveillance radar.

The EOVX-8B is gradually replacing the OVX-3B Pueblo in the scout platoon of UCSA air cavalry troops. Previously, the scout platoon was composed of eight OVX-3Bs with a small complement of QRVX-4A Umatilla drones. With the shift to the Blackfoot, the scout platoon has downsized to four EOVX-8Bs accompanied by eight Umatillas. This new organization has been criticised for reducing the number of platforms available to deploy aero riflemen, so some RCTs have adopted an unofficial scheme of adding two to four additional Cheyenne lift ships to each troop with discretionary funding.

In practice, pink teams of two Arapahos paired with one Blackfoot and two drones are commonplace. The Blackfoot acts as a "quarterback", using its drones to acquire targets for the Arapahos while allowing the gunships to minimize their exposure to hostile sensors and fire. Its three steerable EW emitters can provide ECM and/or ECCM coverage for the entire pink team. This arrangement has proven extremely popular with both gunship and scout crews, and reduced loss rates in maneuvers as well as ongoing combat operations on Monrovia have proven it.