A look inside the US Future Vertical Lift program
Faster speeds and longer ranges are two key focuses of the FVL program.
The US Army is looking to replace its helicopter force with a new generation of rotorcraft providing pilots with greater speed, endurance, lethality, and decision-making dominance than current fleets. The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program will see the Army acquire two new rotorcraft platforms to propel the project forward. The Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (Fara ) comprise the program and are to be fielded by 2030. Faster speeds and longer ranges are two key focuses of the FVL program, providing the US Army with the ability to penetrate deeper into the operational environment.
Congress set out an initial five capability requirements in 2009. FARA, FLRAA, and the modular open system approach (MOSA ) are the current ongoing program within the FVL program. It is also examining the use of future unmanned systems, namely tactical UASs, that can offer a range of both lethal and non-lethal capabilities at a lower price. Two teams are pitching for FLRAA contracts. Bell has offered the V-280 Valor, a tiltrotor aircraft, and Boeing-Sikorsky has offered the Defiant X, a platform with coaxial rotors. FLRAA is scheduled for acquisition by 2030, with the winning team expected to be announced imminently. For FARA, Bell is building the 360 Invictus, whilst Sikorsky is currently constructing the Raider X. The contract has not yet been awarded, although both have been developing prototypes to pitch to the Army.
High speed capabilities are of critical importance to FVL. This is true of physical speed and the speed of information transmission and operational support onboard. Physical speed is important on the battlefield, and agile decision making is critical in peer-to-peer conflicts. The FVL program is aiming to acquire cockpit systems that will allow the US to maintain what the Army has been describing as ‘decision dominance’. This requirement is reinforced by the Army’s desire to outfit the rotorcraft with various sensors and controls which reduce the cognitive burden on pilots. MOSA reflects a broader shift to modularity, enabling fast uptake of emerging technologies, providing users access to the most up to date capabilities. The interjection of technology in an agile manner is of growing importance when considering that the US is once again more likely to be engaged with peer adversaries, thus heightening the need to be able to adopt new technologies at pace.
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