Sikorsky To Begin S-97 Raider's Final Assembly

Sikorsky is planning to start the final assembly of S-97 Raider helicopter prototype this week, according to Defense News.

The company which is competing for the U.S. Army’s Armed Aerial Scout program — is expecting the helicopter’s first flight by the end of 2014.

“It’s just a really exciting foundational milestone for us, and it’s great to be leaving the design phase of Raider and getting into the build phase,” Chris Van Buiten, Sikorsky Innovations vice president was quoted as saying by Defense News.

The Raider is based on the X-2 technology developed by Sikorsky in the late 2000s, but grows the size and weight significantly. Where the X-2 demonstrator was a one-person, 5,000-pound platform, the Raider will be roughly 11,000 pounds with room for six troops in its combat assault mode. In reconnaissance mode, that space could be used for extra equipment or ammunition.

A composite airframe, the fuselage has been tested to tolerate bird strikes at 230 knots and has shown very low drag, according to the company.

The development of the Raider has been entirely funded by Sikorsky and its industry partners. While the S-97 is being designed with Armed Aerial Scout in mind, it will also serve as a test bed for further X-2 technologies, which could then go onto future Sikorsky products. Additionally, the company sees the Raider as a demonstrator for a larger machine that would fit the Army’s Joint Multi-Role helicopter replacement program for the service’s Blackhawk fleet.

The Armed Aerial Scout program aims to replace the U.S. Army’s fleet of OH-58 Kiowa Warriors, in use since the late 1960s. The winner of the program is expected to last well past 2050, meaning the competition would be a long-term windfall for the winner.

Sikorsky is hoping to fill that role — assuming the replacement program can get funding. But the Armed Aerial Scout is facing budget challenges as indicated by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, the report added.