Raider X High-Speed Helicopter Brandishes Weapons As It Takes Shape
Dan Parsons - Yesterday 9:01 PM
Sikorsky has released new shots of its Raider X prototype aircraft sporting modular weapon launchers loaded with Hellfire missiles and a 20mm main gun.
This prototype Sikorsky's pitch for the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, as seen at the company’s flight test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to Jay Macklin, business development director for Sikorsky Army Programs and Innovations, the aircraft is about 90 percent complete and Sikorsky says it has 98 percent of the necessary parts on hand to complete the Raider.
The first Raider X competitive prototype in a hanger at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach, Florida, facility. Sikorsky Photo Another view of the Raider X. Sikorsky Photo
“Our acceptance test procedures are more than 50 percent complete,” Macklin said. “We're working really closely with the U.S. Army on the whole build, and they are extremely involved in every aspect of this and have been great teammates,” Macklin told reporters on June 28.
The two photos released today, seen earlier in this story, show the aircraft’s fuselage sitting in a hangar in West Palm called “Raider Country.” The three-barreled main gun is seen mounted under the aircraft's chin. Its modular effects launchers are extended but can be folded into the fuselage to reduce drag during flight. Those pods can also be loaded with other munitions, including air-launched drones. They also can be removed to clear space for assault troops or casualty evacuation.
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