U.S. Army Approves Milestone B for Bell's Future Long Range Assault Aircraft

Bell Textron announced that the U.S. Army has approved the Milestone B decision for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).

This approval marks the beginning of the weapon system’s Program of Record (PoR).

Milestone B decision follows years of collaboration between Bell and the Army, including a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) that ensured the integration and effectiveness of the aircraft's design, including weapon system design, sustainment, and system integrations. Milestone B approval allows the program to transition from technology development to engineering and manufacturing. This paves the way for prototype design, build, and testing in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase.

Building on the $1.3 billion FLRAA contract award in December 2022 after besting an offering by Sikorsky-Boeing, Bell established new facilities and manufacturing processes to support the program. The Bell FLRAA weapons system is intended to replace the Army’s UH-60 Blackhawk utility helicopters.

The Bell FLRAA represents a next-generation vertical lift solution, featuring a tiltrotor configuration that combines the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability of a helicopter with the range and speed of a twin turboprop aircraft. The U.S. Army’s new long-range assault aircraft aims to fly twice as far and twice as fast as the current fleet.

The program aims to provide an aircraft for missions such as air assault, medical evacuation, and logistics support.

The selected aircraft, the Bell Textron V-280 Valor, boasts a top speed of 280 knots, a range exceeding 500 nautical miles, and a payload capacity of 14 troops or 10,000 pounds of cargo. In contrast, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache have top speeds of 159 knots (183 mph) and 153 knots (176 mph), respectively. The V-280 Valor is poised to replace both as a next-generation solution.

The V-280 is scheduled to take its first flight in 2026, followed by low-rate initial production in 2028, and initial operational fielding by 2030.