US Army finds replacement for Black Hawk helicopter

The United States Army’s Black Hawk helicopter has been the workhorse of the service for decades, transporting troops to and around battlefields. Warfare is changing, however, and the Army needs a new workhorse.

This week, the Army announced Bell Textron won the Army’s competition to develop the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft. Bell’s V-280 Valor beat out the Defiant X, a collaboration between Sikorsky and Boeing, to be the Army’s FLRAA.

The initial deal is worth up to $1.3 billion. The Army did not disclose how many Valors it will initially receive. According to Military Times, the Army initially plans to replace roughly 2000 Black Hawk helicopters with Valors, but not at a one-to-one ratio. If the Army eventually orders a “full complement” of FLRAA, the contract would be worth around $70 billion.

The V-280 Valor is a tiltrotor aircraft. According to Bell, it will be easier to upgrade as technology advances. Bell said the Valor was also built with the “maintainer in mind” and will be easier for mechanics to work on during battlefield conditions. Clocking in at 300 knots, the Valor has twice the range and speed of the Army’s current fleet. During test flights, the Valor was able to fly at an altitude of 11,500 feet.

In low-speed agility tests, the Valor performed to the Army’s highest standards in terms of control power in pitch, roll and yaw maneuvers.

In addition to long-range assaults, the V-280 can carry out utility, medical evacuation and humanitarian missions. The Army expects the V-280 to come into service around 2030.