Parties Say The Five-Year Collaboration Will Advance Aviation Technologies

The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) said Thursday that its Applied R&D sector has signed a five-year agreement with the Vertical Lift Consortium, Inc. (VLC). SCRA will serve as the consortia management firm, providing the professional management services necessary to effectively manage VLC’s business affairs. SCRA will also serve as the Consortium Administration Organization on VLC’s Other Transaction Agreement with Army Contracting Command – NJ in Picatinny, NJ.

VLC was chartered to facilitate government, industry and academic collaborative efforts to develop advances in aviation technologies, supporting current and future Department of Defense requirements. Its mission is to work cooperatively with the Services, Joint Staff, Special Operations Command, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the DoD Research & Engineering enterprise to improve the long-term state of military vertical lift aircraft and the US vertical lift industrial sector.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome SCRA Applied R&D to the VLC team as our Consortium Administration Organization,” said VLC Chairman Nick Lappos, who is also senior technical fellow for advanced technology with Sikorsky Aircraft. “It is important that the rotorcraft industrial enterprise, through the VLC, be a strong partner with our military customer to develop the next generation of high-speed, long-range military vertical lift.”

“We are delighted to provide our consortia management expertise to help VLC deliver innovative solutions to solve Department of Defense needs,” said SCRA Applied R&D President Chris Van Metre. “This work builds upon our proven domain expertise, client satisfaction and outstanding delivery records, and we look forward to this new partnership with VLC.”

FMI: www.scra.org, www.ivertical-lift.org