The Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program was initiated by the United States Army in 2019 to develop a successor to the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter as part of the Future Vertical Lift program. The UH-60, developed in the early 1970s, has been in service since June 1979. Like the UH-60, FLRAA variants would also serve United States Special Operations Command and the United States Marine Corps. Under the existing Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) program, the Army has been gathering data from flying prototype designs that could fill the FLRAA role.
The Army posted a request for information (RFI) in April 2019, which was intended to identify interested manufacturers. According to the RFI, the Army plans to bring the FLRAA into service in 2030, in anticipation of retiring the UH-60 after a 50-year life.
On December 5, 2022, the Army selected the Bell Textron V-280 Valor powered by Rolls-Royce engines for the FLRAA contract award. The award was protested by the Sikorsky-Boeing team, however the Government Accountability Office denied the protest.
Design goals According to the RFI, the Army has set a per-unit cost goal of $43 million (in 2018 dollars). The Army envisions combat scenarios where a future scout helicopter being developed under the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program and unmanned drones would control an area or corridor, which would then allow FLRAA to insert troops. FLRAA is intended to be more agile and faster than the existing UH-60.
FLRAA Requirements (April 2019) Attribute Minimum Desired Army USMC Army USMC Unrefueled Combat Radius One-way Unrefueled Radius — — Maximum Continuous Cruise Speed Payload (internal) Cabin floor capable of Cabin floor capable of Passengers 12 8 12 8
Notes
Competition history
FLRAA is part of the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program; in 2016, Major General William Gayler declared the first FVL aircraft would fill the medium-lift role. The proposed FLRAA program schedule overlaps with the FARA procurement, which is also part of FVL. FARA would provide a light-lift helicopter for the armed reconnaissance/scout role that was previously filled by the Bell OH-58 Kiowa until its retirement in 2014.
On April 4, 2019, the Army released a formal request for information and outlined its proposed schedule for FLRAA: Q4FY21 (Jul–Sep 2021): Award contract Q2FY23 (Jan–Mar 2023): Preliminary design review Q3FY24 (Apr–Jun 2024): First flight Q4FY24 (Jul–Sep 2024): Critical design review Q2FY30 (Jan–Mar 2030): First unit enters service
The FVL program is headed by Brigadier General Wally Rugen; according to Rugen, based on the data gathered during JMR-TD with the Bell V-280 Valor and the Sikorsky–Boeing SB-1 Defiant, the Army was ready to move on to open competition for the FLRAA contract. In March 2020, the Army awarded competitive demonstration contracts to Bell and Sikorsky/Boeing, who would proceed to complete conceptual designs and explain how the FLRAA requirements were met by the Valor and Defiant candidate designs, respectively.
On 8 February 2024 the US Army ended development of FARA,Jen Judson (8 February 2024) US Army spent billions on a new helicopter that now will never fly while FLRAA development is continuing.Ashley Rocque (8 February 2024) Army cancels FARA helicopter program, makes other cuts in major aviation shakeup FLRAA passed Milestone B in the acquisition process in August 2024.Ashley Rocque (2 Aug 2024) Milestone B: Army’s FLRAA tiltrotor graduates to engineering and manufacturing development phase
References
External links Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA): solicitation