By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
It’s the US Army’s rotorcraft of the future, a tiltrotor aircraft designed to eventually replace the venerable UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter while being able to fly the increased distances that combat in the Indo-Pacific region would require.
It’s the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, and last week it moved to the next stage of development – a key checkpoint in the acquisition process.
“This is an important step for FLRAA and demonstrates the Army’s commitment to our highest aviation modernization priority, said Army acquisition chief Doug Bush. “FLRAA will provide assault and MEDEVAC capabilities for the future Army, adding significantly increased speed, range and endurance.”
If all goes well, the Army will conduct the FLRAA’s first flight in 2026, followed by low-rate production in 2028, with the aircraft initially fielded in 2030.
The program began in 2019, and Textron Bell was awarded the contract in 2022. It represents the Army’s largest aircraft procurement decision in 40 years. Among other things, the FLRAA was required to have the ability to travel roughly 2,440 nautical miles without refueling. While Bell has said the FLRAA is not designed for a specific theater, it’s clear that the added range will make it valuable in the Pacific.
The FLRAA is able to fly not only farther and faster than the Black Hawk, it can land in the same size landing zones as the older helicopter can, as dictated by the “Gold Book standard” of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
It’s also been designed so it can fit into a standard Army Aviation hangar space.
Bell says the tiltrotor is built so that it maneuvers better than a Black Hawk when it is flying slower and lower – as when it approaches an objective. Plus, it’s able to accelerate extremely quickly to get out of the area after picking up and dropping off troops.
Bell won the bidding war for the deal with its V-280 Valor tiltrotor, which was built as part of a program that began in 2013. The company says it received feedback not only from the Army test pilots who flew the craft, but also from mechanics and infantry squads that took park in the testing.
Of course, Bell has experience with tiltrotors due to V-22 Osprey, the aircraft it makes with Boeing. One big difference between the V-22 and the V-280: the new craft has fixed engine nacelles, compared to the Osprey’s nacelles that tilt along with the rotors. Bell says the fixed nacelles are cheaper, better performing and easier to maintain.
According to Defense News, the first stage of production could be worth about $7 billion, while the entire program is valued at roughly $70 billion, once potential foreign military sales are included.
