FLRAA Achieves Next Step
The Army announced in early August 2024 that the new tiltrotor project had moved ahead to Milestone B with the expectation that the first FLRAA flight will be in 2026 with Low-Rate Initial Production scheduled to begin in 2028 and initial fielding activity in 2030.
In an article published by the U.S. Army on August 2, 2024, the Army tiltrotor program was announced to have achieved Milestone B.
Redstone Arsenal, Ala. – The Army’s Future Vertical Lift program took a major step forward as the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program entered the next major phase of development when the Army approved the FLRAA Milestone B (MS B) Acquisition Decision Memorandum this week.
The decision came after the successful FLRAA preliminary design review in April and a meeting of the Army Systems Acquisition Review Council (ASARC) in June. After reviewing FLRAA affordability, technological viability, threat projections and security, engineering, manufacturing, sustainment, and cost risks, the ASARC confirmed that all sources of program risk have been adequately addressed for this phase of the program. MS B allows the Army to exercise contract options and continues development of the aircraft as it now enters the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase.
“This an important step for FLRAA and demonstrates the Army’s commitment to our highest aviation modernization priority,” said the Army Acquisition Executive, the Honorable Douglas R. Bush. “FLRAA will provide assault and MEDEVAC capabilities for the future Army, adding significantly increased speed, range, and endurance.”
“This is an exciting day for the Army… and more importantly for our Soldiers. The FLRAA provides truly transformational capability to Army Aviators as we uphold the Sacred Trust with the Soldier on the ground,” said Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, 17th Chief of the U.S. Army Aviation Branch. “Future battlefields require expanded maneuver, the ability to sustain and provide command and control across vast distances, and of course, evacuate our wounded. All of these apply to both conventional and Special Operations Forces. With roughly twice the range and twice the speed, FLRAA brings unmatched combat capability to the Joint Force.”
The Army awarded the FLRAA Weapon System Development contract to Bell Textron on 5 December 2022 and it includes nine options. The Milestone B allows the Army to exercise the first option which includes detailed aircraft design and build of six prototype aircraft. The Army is planning for the first FLRAA flight in 2026 with Low-Rate Initial Production scheduled to begin in 2028 and initial fielding activity in 2030. The Army will continue to review and refine the schedule as necessary based on the contract award and the latest program activities.
“PM FLRAA and our Team of Teams across the aviation enterprise are working hard to make sure that we get it right,” said Brig. Gen. David Phillips, Program Executive Officer, Aviation. “We will deliver a next generation combat capability that meets the Army’s goals for affordability, survivability, maintainability, reliability, and safety.”
“The FLRAA Milestone B decision is another successful step of a deliberate modernization effort by the Army,” said BG Cain Baker, Director for the Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team. “The many stakeholders, including academia and industry, have worked hard to ensure rigorous technology development and demonstration and have informed FLRAA requirements and affordability. FLRAA’s speed, reach, and survivability will be key to transforming US Army maneuver.”
“I am very proud of the FLRAA team. We’ve maintained a deliberate balance between sustaining program momentum while maintaining technical and acquisition rigor,” said Col. Jeffrey Poquette, FLRAA Project Manager. “Using digital engineering as a key part of our ‘go slow to go fast’ approach has helped to accelerate the program by investing in requirements development up front.”
FLRAA will provide transformational capability for ground forces and aircrews with speed, range, and surprise to present multiple dilemmas to the enemy. It will expand the depth of the battlefield, extending reach to conduct air assault missions from relative sanctuary while enabling us to rapidly exploit freedom of maneuver to converge ground forces through decentralized operations at extended distances. FLRAA’s inherent reach and standoff capabilities will ensure mission success through tactical maneuver at operational and strategic distances.
As the Army transforms to meet an uncertain future, FLRAA is one of many modernized capabilities that will help ensure the Army of 2030 and beyond is ready to win when the nation calls.
Featured Photo: The Bell V-280 technology Demonstrator
And in an article published by Breaking Defense on August 2, 2024, the Milestone B decision was highlighted as follows:
Earlier this week, senior US Army leaders signed off on starting the next phase of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program — engineering and manufacturing development — in hopes of getting soldiers into the cockpit by 2030.
“This an important step for FLRAA and demonstrates the Army’s commitment to our highest aviation modernization priority,” Army acquisition head Doug Bush said in a press release today. “FLRAA will provide assault and [medical evacuation] MEDEVAC capabilities for the future Army, adding significantly increased speed, range, and endurance.”
The service selected Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the coveted program in 2022, and it was most recently in the development and risk reduction phase. Leading up to this week’s decision, the Army conducted a preliminary design review in April before the Army Systems Acquisition Review Council (ASARC) met in June, according to the service statement.
“After reviewing FLRAA affordability, technological viability, threat projections and security, engineering, manufacturing, sustainment, and cost risks, the ASARC confirmed that all sources of program risk have been adequately addressed for this phase of the program,” the service statement said. Then earlier this week, the service greenlit Milestone B, ushering in the engineering and manufacturing development phase that includes the design and production of six prototype aircraft.
The plan, the service said, is to have the first FLRAA prototype up in the air in 2026. If everything stays on track, the service wants to move into low-rate initial production in 2028 before fielding the first helicopters to soldiers in 2030.
“Future battlefields require expanded maneuver, the ability to sustain and provide command and control across vast distances, and of course, evacuate our wounded,” said Army Aviation Branch chief Maj. Gen. Michael McCurry. “All of these apply to both conventional and Special Operations Forces. With roughly twice the range and twice the speed, FLRAA brings unmatched combat capability to the joint force.”
But as Army leaders eye 2030 fielding, Boeing’s pending acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems could add a wrinkle. Spirit is currently providing the composite-skinned aluminum fuselage for the new helicopter, and Breaking Defense has confirmed that if the sale goes through, Bell intends to step away from its teammate. As a result, it will either need to find a new fuselage producer or bring the work in house.
At the time Bell declined to comment on the possible shakeup, while Spirit touted the long relationship. “Spirit has had a successful ten-year partnership with Bell on this program and we will continue to work with them to deliver on our joint commitments,” Spirit AeroSystems spokesman Joe Buccino said.
This week an Army spokesperson told Breaking Defense it is simply too early to know what impact a potential fuselage provider changes would have on the program.