Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft FLRAA
The US Army announced on 05 December 2022 that it awarded the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft contract to Bell Textron, Incorporated. and chosen Bell Textron's V-280 Valor tiltrotor that was developed and tested as part of the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) program that began in 2013.
The Army plans to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk with the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft. The FLRAA supports the FVL Capability Set 3 missions. FLRAA will likely be fielded first to units with forced- or early-entry missions like the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 82nd Airborne Division, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and some National Guard units.
On 18 March 2020 Program Executive Office, Aviation announces the Project Agreement holders for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) Competitive Demonstration and Risk Reduction (CD&RR). The Army’s PEO Aviation, working with Army Contracting Command, Redstone awarded the FLRAA CD&RR project agreements under the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium Other Transaction Authority (OTA) to Bell Textron Incorporated, and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. These competitively awarded OTA agreements consist of risk reduction activities that combine government research with input from industry partners to inform the future development and procurement of the FLRAA weapons system. Deliverables include initial conceptual designs, requirements feasibility, and trade studies using model based systems engineering. These CD&RR agreements will extend over two years, informing the final Army requirements and the program of record planned for competition in 2022.
In 2016, the Army was tasked to lead the joint vertical-lift effort and conduct an analysis of alternatives, or AOA, for the FLRAA program. The United States Government (USG) is to conduct the Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) using the most up-to date information available and believes responses to the Request for Information (RFI) are critical to informing the alternatives to be used in the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) AoA.
Now that the AOA is complete, the FVL CFT plans to release their findings in mid-2019. These findings, combined with the inputs from other services, will finalize the FLRAA requirements. Eventually, a Capability Development Document will be released, followed by a Rapid Fielding Initiative.
The Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) Request for Information (RFI) is to inform the potential FLRAA trade space for new development aircraft in support of requirements refinement and acquisition planning for a potential FLRAA Program of Record (PoR). The Army is pursuing an accelerated FLRAA program using a leader-follower approach, with the Army designated as the lead Service with Special Operations Command (SOCOM) participation and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) acquisition program following approximately two years later.
The US Government desires a materiel solution that supports, at a minimum, the following developmental timeline: Contract Award: Q4FY21, PDR: Q2FY23, CDR: Q4FY24, First Flight: Q3FY24, First Unit Equipped: Q2FY30.
The US Government desires a materiel solution that supports, at minimum, the following affordability objectives: $43M AUMC (Average Unit Manufacturing Cost) (BY18$). AUMC includes costs such as the air vehicle structure, rotor group, drive group, wing, propulsion, landing gear, and avionics. It does not include non-recurring production and engineering changes, contractor System Engineering & Program Management and Contractor System Test and Evaluation costs.
The Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) Request for Information (RFI) PANRSA_19_P-011017 was issued 04 April 2019 to inform the potential FLRAA trade space for new development aircraft in support of requirements refinement and acquisition planning for a potential FLRAA Program of Record (PoR). The Army is pursuing an accelerated FLRAA program using a leader-follower approach, with the Army designated as the lead Service with Special Operations Command (SOCOM) participation and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) acquisition program following approximately two years later.
The US Government desires a materiel solution that supported, at a minimum, the following developmental timeline: Contract Award: Q4FY21, PDR: Q2FY23, CDR: Q4FY24, First Flight: Q3FY24, First Unit Equipped: Q2FY30. The US Government desires a materiel solution that supports, at minimum, the following affordability objectives: $43M AUMC (Average Unit Manufacturing Cost).
The Army intends to initiate prototype builds of the aircraft at the Air Vehicle PDR (aircraft structure, propulsion, rotor, and drive system). The estimated time between the Air Vehicle PDR and first flight is approximately 18 to20 months. Based on previous RFI responses, industry partners have indicated that this is sufficient time to produce prototypes and be ready to initiate flight testing. The timeline between air vehicle PDR and weapon system CDR is based on previous RFI responses from industry.
The U.S. Army solicited for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Competitive Demonstration and Risk Reduction via the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium Other Transaction Authority. Phase one of the CD&RR delivers an initial conceptual design to include all substantiating technical documentation to support the design, requirements decompositions, trade studies, and requirements feasibility. "We are committed to equipping the Army's first unit with the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft no later than 2030," said Colonel David Phillips, the Program Executive Office for Aviation's Project Manager for FLRAA. "This effort will provide critical risk mitigation and inform the program of record as we pursue the material solution to meet the Army's aviation modernization priority."
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