The legendary Black Hawk helicopter will be replaced by the US Army's V-280 tiltrotor
The U.S. Army has chosen a V-280 tiltrotor to replace some of its iconic Black Hawk helicopters, according to Bell Textron Inc.
According to the business, it has been given the development contract for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program of the United States Army.
The Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) program, which started in 2013, is what led to the development and testing of Bell's V-280 Valor tiltrotor, which is the basis for the award. Design, production, and more than three years of meticulous flight testing of the V-280 produced a wealth of data that validated the aircraft's technological and operational advantages for the long-range assault role.
Scott C. Donnelly, chairman and CEO of Textron, said, "We are thrilled that the U.S. Army has chosen the Bell V-280 Valor as its next-generation attack aircraft. "To meet the Army's mission objectives, we plan to construct a really unique and transformative weapon system. We are thrilled to contribute significantly to Army Aviation's future.
Bell's president and CEO, Mitch Snyder, said that as we modernize the Army's aviation capabilities for decades to come, "this is an exciting time for the U.S. Army, Bell, and Team Valor."Bell has a long history of assisting Army Aviation, and the company is prepared to give Soldiers the speed and range they require to compete and prevail using the world's most advanced, trustworthy, and reasonably priced high-performance long-range assault weapon system.
This recognition builds on ten years of advancements made by the V-280 Valor in design, production, and comprehensive testing to show that this aircraft would meet FLRAA program standards. In cooperation with the Army, Bell and its industry partners have thoroughly validated the V-280 aircraft and their modular open systems approach.
Keith Flail, executive vice president of Bell's Advanced Vertical Lift Systems, said that over the past few years, the Bell team had "demonstrated the exceptional operational capabilities, digital thread synergies, and platform affordability enhancements the V-280 provides." Bell said it is prepared to use its top-notch manufacturing facilities and its nearly seven decades of tiltrotor experience to provide the Army with a fleet of contemporary FLRAAs.
The initial contract refines the manufacturing, systems integration, manufacturing, sustainment, digital enterprise, flight-testing, and airworthiness certification of weapon systems.
