About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (July 13, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/goveecl0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Co I Service I Info rvfrio the Ie~i~$jJtA e rn e 1914 S UpdatedJuly 13, 2021 Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program The major combat rotorcraft platforms in U.S. inventory- the Chinook, BlackHawk, Apache, and Kiowa Warrior- are based on designs fromthe 1960s and 1970s. While several are s till in production or remanufacture, the Army is leading DOD's effort to move to a new generation of rotorcraft technology. The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programis a research and development effort dedicated to discovering, investigating, and refining the technologies that is to provide thenext generation ofvertical lift aircraft for the United States Armed Forces. According to the Army, the goalof the programis to develop technologies that improve maneuverability, range, speed, payload, survivability, reliability, and reduced logistical footprint compared with current rotorcraft. The Army lists FVL as one of its top sixmodernization priorities. The Marine Corps and Navy also plan to use FVL-derived technology in their next-generation rotorcraft. Although the FVLeffort is intended to benefit all services, and elements of the work are joint, the Army is the lead service, and most funding for the programis includedin the Army's R&D budget. FVL is in a fairly early stage, and aircraft likely to result from this program's workare not expectedto be operational until the early 2030s. However, in April2018, then-Army Secretary MarkEsperdirected the FVL teamto determine whether promis ing technologies could be incorporated into a new aircraft within 10 years. History FVL officially began in 2009, and the strategic planfor the project was is sued in October 2011. The pace of workhas varied overtime due to shifting Army budget priorities. The Army is also resolving an internal debate as to its priorities.While the FVL development focus hadbeen on the medium-lift Black Hawk helicopter replacement, Army officials have more recently noted a larger capability gap in the attack/reconnaissance fleet, and are considering whether to shift focus to that smallerplatform. FVL is currently looking at five basic categories (or capability sets) of aircraft varying in size, but the initial foci are a medium transport platformcapable of succeeding the Army UH-60 Black Hawk and Marine H-1 Huey utility helicopters-the Future Long -Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)-and a scoutplatformroughly in the role of the current Apache, now called the Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). Heavy-lift variants may follow. FLRAA Bell and Sikorsky (with Boeing)have produced demonstrators for FLRAA. The two companies are taking different technology approaches to their efforts. The Bell V-280 (Figure 2) is a tiltrotor aircraft like the V-22 Osprey, with engines and rotors at the end of its wings that swivel. The Sikorsky/Boeing SB-1(Figure 3) is a compound helicopter, using twin coaxialrotors to providelift and a pusher propeller to enhance speed. Figure 1. FLRAA Schedule ------- ---- ------- I a - ---- -- -- -- -- - ---- -- ----- -- Source: FY2022 budget su bmission for Research, Development, Test& Evau ation, Army. In the FY2020 Defense App ropriatio n A ct, Congress added $75.6 million for competitive demonstration and risk reduction (CD&RR) in FVL, focus ed on FLRA A. The main step fromtechnology demonstrators to competitive aircraft, CD&RR will be a two -year effort designed to prepare the competing systemsforprojected contractaward in the second quarter of FY2022. On March 18, 2020, the Army granted Bell and Sikorsky CD&RR project agreements.'Ihe two were given a formal request for proposals in July 2021. Figure 2. Bell V-280 Valor Source: Bell. https://crs reports.congress.gov

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most