REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — The Military’s Future Vertical Elevate program took a serious step ahead because the Future Lengthy Vary Assault Plane, or FLRAA, program entered the subsequent main section of growth when the Military introduced the approval of the FLRAA Milestone B Acquisition Choice Memorandum on August 2, 2024.
The choice got here after the profitable FLRAA preliminary design assessment in April and a gathering of the Military Programs Acquisition Evaluate Council in June. After reviewing FLRAA affordability, technological viability, risk projections and safety, engineering, manufacturing, sustainment and price dangers, the ASARC confirmed that each one sources of program danger have been adequately addressed for this section of this system. Milestone B permits the Military to train contract choices and continues growth of the plane because it now enters the engineering and manufacturing growth section.
“This an necessary step for FLRAA and demonstrates the Military’s dedication to our highest aviation modernization precedence,” stated the Military acquisition government, the Honorable Douglas R. Bush. “FLRAA will present assault and MEDEVAC capabilities for the longer term Military, including considerably elevated pace, vary and endurance.”
“That is an thrilling day for the Military … and extra importantly for our Troopers. The FLRAA offers really transformational functionality to Military aviators as we uphold the sacred belief with the Soldier on the bottom,” stated Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, seventeenth chief of the U.S. Military Aviation Department. “Future battlefields require expanded maneuver, the power to maintain and supply command and management throughout huge distances, and naturally, evacuate our wounded. All of those apply to each typical and particular operations forces. With roughly twice the vary and twice the pace, FLRAA brings unmatched fight functionality to the joint drive.”
The Military awarded the FLRAA Weapon System Improvement contract to Bell Textron on December 5, 2022, and it contains 9 choices. The Milestone B permits the Military to train the primary choice which incorporates detailed plane design and construct of six prototype plane. The Military is planning for the primary FLRAA flight in 2026 with low-rate preliminary manufacturing scheduled to start in 2028 and preliminary fielding exercise in 2030. The Military will proceed to assessment and refine the schedule as mandatory based mostly on the contract award and the most recent program actions.
“PM FLRAA and our Group of Groups throughout the aviation enterprise are working exhausting to make it possible for we get it proper,” stated Brig. Gen. David Phillips, Program Govt Officer, Aviation. “We’ll ship a subsequent technology fight functionality that meets the Military’s targets for affordability, survivability, maintainability, reliability and security.”
“The FLRAA Milestone B determination is one other profitable step of a deliberate modernization effort by the Military,” stated Brig. Gen. Cain Baker, director for the Future Vertical Elevate Cross Useful Group. “The numerous stakeholders, together with academia and business, have labored exhausting to make sure rigorous know-how growth and demonstration and have knowledgeable FLRAA necessities and affordability. FLRAA’s pace, attain and survivability might be key to reworking U.S. Military maneuver.”
“I’m very happy with the FLRAA crew. We’ve maintained a deliberate steadiness between sustaining program momentum whereas sustaining technical and acquisition rigor,” stated Col. Jeffrey Poquette, FLRAA venture supervisor. “Utilizing digital engineering as a key a part of our ‘go gradual to go quick’ method has helped to speed up this system by investing in necessities growth up entrance.”
FLRAA will present transformational functionality for floor forces and aircrews with pace, vary, and shock to current a number of dilemmas to the enemy. It should develop the depth of the battlefield, extending attain to conduct air assault missions from relative sanctuary whereas enabling us to quickly exploit freedom of maneuver to converge floor forces via decentralized operations at prolonged distances. FLRAA’s inherent attain and standoff capabilities will guarantee mission success via tactical maneuver at operational and strategic distances.
Because the Military transforms to fulfill an unsure future, FLRAA is one among many modernized capabilities that can assist make sure the Military of 2030 and past is able to win when the nation calls.
By PEO Aviation
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