Bell’s New Long-Range Assault Aircraft Advances to Next Phase
Bell Textron Inc. has announced a major development in the United States Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The Army has approved the Milestone B decision, marking the official entry of the program into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. This milestone is a crucial part of the Major Capability Acquisition process and signifies the FLRAA’s transition to a Program of Record (PoR).
Industry and Army Collaboration
Ryan Ehinger, Bell’s Senior Vice President and FLRAA Program Director, emphasized the historic nature of this achievement for both the U.S. Army and Bell. The company is now poised to deliver what they describe as transformational capability to the warfighter. The FLRAA team is committed to working closely with the Army as they move forward into the next phase of development.
Extensive Preparatory Work
The Milestone B decision follows comprehensive efforts by Bell and its partners to refine the aircraft’s design, mitigate risks, and align the system’s capabilities with the US Army’s mission requirements. This included a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) aimed at ensuring the integration and effectiveness of various aircraft systems, including weapon design, sustainment, and system integration.
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Colonel Jeffrey Poquette, FLRAA Project Manager, highlighted the collective effort behind reaching this stage. He noted that the program is now entering an exciting phase focused on designing, building, and testing FLRAA prototypes.
Since being awarded the FLRAA contract in December 2022, Bell has established new facilities and manufacturing processes to support the program. As the project moves into the EMD phase, the company will concentrate on refining the aircraft’s design and advancing with prototyping.
Expected Performance Improvements
The FLRAA is projected to offer significant advancements over the current fleet, with the new aircraft expected to fly twice as far and twice as fast. Bell attributes this performance to mature tiltrotor technology, an innovative digital engineering approach, and an open architecture.
Bell claims that these features will make the FLRAA the most reliable, affordable, and high-performing long-range assault aircraft in the world. As the program progresses through the EMD phase, it represents a significant step forward in military aviation technology and capabilities.
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