UH-60 Replacement to Build on V-280 Valor Program

Bell Textron has been selected for the Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. 

The deal will see the company build on their prior work from the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) program, using the matured tiltrotor design as a base for what might eventually replace the Black Hawk helicopter in service. The V-280 managed to progress through a number of flight tests since its 2013 program, resulting in a fairly mature concept that could prove to be a passable basis for the next-generation "Long Range Assault Aircraft". 

The battery of flight testing showed a capable, fleet-footed aircraft that boasts a 280-knot top speed (its namesake) as designed. That number proved conservative, with some testing showing speeds north of 300 knots. That speed would be a continental shift in Army capability, if able to be fielded en masse. 

“For the past several years the Bell team demonstrated the exceptional operational capabilities, digital thread synergies, and platform affordability enhancements the V-280 provides,” said Keith Flail, executive VP overseeing Advanced Vertical Lift Systems at Bell. “Bell stands ready with our world-class manufacturing facilities to apply our nearly seven decades of tiltrotor expertise to deliver a modern FLRAA fleet to the Army.”

News of the contract is undoubtedly a bummer for the competing Defiant X by Boeing, a slightly more traditional twin-rotor, pusher-equipped helicopter. The tiltrotor Valor will grant the Army a leg up on the Marine Corps' own once-groundbreaking V-22 Osprey should the program reach full production. For now, the award focuses primarily on the base design of the future aircraft, with options to produce an initial run of aircraft and begin scale production after that. The news couldn't come at a better time for Bell, following what felt like a year of one completed contract after another, like Bell's final delivery of the H-1.

"We are honored that the U.S. Army has selected the Bell V-280 Valor as its next-generation assault aircraft," said Scott C. Donnelly, Textron CEO. "We intend to honor that trust by building a truly remarkable and transformational weapon system to meet the Army’s mission requirements. We are excited to play an important role in the future of Army Aviation."

“This is an exciting time for the U.S. Army, Bell, and Team Valor as we modernize the Army’s aviation capabilities for decades to come,” said Mitch Snyder, president of Bell. “Bell has a long history supporting Army Aviation and we are ready to equip Soldiers with the speed and range they need to compete and win using the most mature, reliable, and affordable high-performance long-range assault weapon system in the world.”

FMI: www.bellflight.com