 |
| The V-280 Valor, an excogitation which was nominated final twelvemonth for the coveted National Aeronautic Association Collier Trophy |
U.S. Army has selected Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor every bit its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), the aircraft manufacturer announced. Bell is a subsidiary of Textron [stock pump].
The decision for the aircraft slated to supplant the service’s aging fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters marks the largest rotorcraft buy for the Army inwards near 4 decades.
The initial $232 million contract will encompass the design in addition to manufacture of a virtual prototype of the tiltrotor aircraft, Army Brig. Gen. Robert Barrie told reporters recently.
Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant X, a coaxial rotorblade aircraft, had as well been a challenger for the contract.
Under the contract announced Mon, which is valued upwardly to $ane.3 billion should the service exercise options, the Army will supervene upon well-nigh ii,000 Black Hawks, providing battlefield troop transport, as well as near 1,200 Apache attack helicopters, Defense News reported.
Bell is expected to deliver FLRAA prototypes to the Army in 2025, amongst the aircraft entering the fleet inside 5 years—around the same time the Army is expected to champaign the classify Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft in evolution for scouting missions, Defense News said.
“Bell has a long history supporting Army Aviation and we are fix to equip Soldiers amongst the speed in addition to reach they postulate to compete and win using the near mature, reliable, in addition to affordable high-performance long-reach set on weapon organisation inwards the world,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO of Bell.
The V-280 Valor, an excogitation which was nominated final twelvemonth for the coveted National Aeronautic Association Collier Trophy, is a tiltrotor aircraft amongst vertical elevator that has more than than twice the speed together with range of current weapons systems, according to Bell. The role-built aircraft is designed for the U.due south. Army’second multi-domain operations, including exceptional ops, assail, medevac, together with other utility missions. It tin can get from a hover to a pinnacle speed of around 280 knots, piece roofing a range of upward to 500 nm.
The aircraft combines the speed together with range of a turboprop with an advanced agility that surpasses a traditional helicopter, all patch offering improved flying performance together with lifecycle sustainability, according to Bell.
“We are honored that the U.S. Army has selected the Bell V-280 Valor equally its side by side-generation assault aircraft,” Scott Donnelly, Textron’s chairman in addition to CEO, said in a statement. “We mean to honor that trust by building a really remarkable too transformational weapon system to run into the Army’sec mission requirements. We are excited to play an important function inward the future of Army Aviation.”
