Bell V-280 Valor Cleared For Engineering and Manufacturing Development
The United States Army announced on August 2, that it had approved the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft’s (FLRAA) Milestone B acquisition decision memorandum earlier this week, clearing the path for Bell’s V-280 Valor to enter Engineering and Manufacturing Development.
Approval for Milestone B allows the Army to exercise the first option in the contract it awarded Bell Textron in December 2022, which includes detailed aircraft design and build of six prototype aircraft.
Current army planning calls for the first FLRAA flight in 2026 with Low-Rate Initial Production scheduled to begin in 2028, and initial fielding in 2030.
The decision followed the successful FLRAA preliminary design review in April and a meeting of the Army Systems Acquisition Review Council (ASARC) in June. “After reviewing FLRAA affordability, technological viability, threat projections and security, engineering, manufacturing, sustainment, and cost risks, the ASARC confirmed that all sources of program risk have been adequately addressed for this phase of the program”, said the Army in a statement.
“This an important step for FLRAA and demonstrates the Army’s commitment to our highest aviation modernization priority,” said the Army Acquisition Executive, the Honorable Douglas R. Bush. “FLRAA will provide assault and MEDEVAC capabilities for the future Army, adding significantly increased speed, range, and endurance.”
“This is an exciting day for the Army… and more importantly for our Soldiers. The FLRAA provides truly transformational capability to Army Aviators as we uphold the Sacred Trust with the Soldier on the ground,” said Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, 17th Chief of the U.S. Army Aviation Branch. “Future battlefields require expanded maneuver, the ability to sustain and provide command and control across vast distances, and of course, evacuate our wounded. All of these apply to both conventional and Special Operations Forces. With roughly twice the range and twice the speed, FLRAA brings unmatched combat capability to the Joint Force.”
FLRAA is intended to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk currently in service with the U.S. Army for troop and cargo transportation, providing greater speed and range than is possible with a conventional helicopter like the Black Hawk.