Bell and Sikorsky have started building their competing prototypes for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) ahead of a Final Design Review in November. The vital digital architecture is still in development.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the two sides would work to identify "how we could co-develop certain capabilities that can help us get the next generation weapons system, but also to be complimentary if necessary for our forces as we deploy."
As threats rapidly evolve, digital engineering, manufacturing capacity and robust supply chains are critical to meeting challenges.
Despite COVID-19, the SB>1 Defiant team is testing furiously to catch up with archrival Bell’s V-280 tiltrotor, which has almost 10 times as many flight hours.
Despite disruptions worldwide, Future Vertical Lift flight tests, virtual industry days, and design reviews are all moving ahead on schedule or mere weeks behind.
After decades of building traditional helicopters in traditional ways, contractors must get ready for the Army’s new high-speed Future Vertical Lift aircraft. Small makers of key parts need help.
WASHINGTON: In normal times, this week would see Bell Textron and the Sikorsky-Boeing team showing off their cutting-edge aircraft at AUSA Global Force in Huntsville, with video displays, models, and even full-size mock-ups. With conferences closed down because of the coronavirus, we’re making an all-out push to give you a virtual taste of Huntsville (click […]
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After two years of intensive digital engineering, in 2022 the Army will pick either a Bell tiltrotor or a Sikorsky-Boeing compound helicopter to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk.
Zoom in on the Sikorsky-Boeing and Bell contenders to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk with exclusive photographs.
After decades of R&D, the race to replace the UH-60 helicopter is entering its last few years.
“The Army has learned its lesson" from past acquisition disasters, said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who's "very pleased" with FVL. This program is truly different, agreed one of the fathers of the cancelled Comanche, retired Maj. Gen. Rudy Ostovich.
Breaking Defense Europe will launch May 4 with Tim Martin and Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo as co-editors.
The SB>1 Defiant compound helicopter has only 11 hours of flight testing, versus over 160 for Bell’s V-280 Valor. But Sikorsky and Boeing say they have thousands of hours of other testing data to help the Army choose.
"We don’t have the time or luxury to wait for people," Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said. "They’ve got to keep pace with us if they want to do business with us.”
The Army is skeptical that early models of the Future Vertical Lift aircraft will be able to fly unmanned. But Bell says it’s already flight-tested all the essential automation.
Mechanical fixes kept the SB>1 compound helicopter grounded for weeks this summer, but the Sikorsky-Boeing team insists they can catch up.