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Updated July 13, 2021
Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program
The major combat rotorcraft platforms in U.S. inventory—
FLRAA
the Chinook, Black Hawk, Apache, and Kiowa Warrior—
Bell and Sikorsky (with Boeing) have produced
are based on designs from the 1960s and 1970s. While
demonstrators for FLRAA. The two companies are taking
several are still in production or remanufacture, the Army is
different technology approaches to their efforts. The Bell
leading DOD’s effort to move to a new generation of
V-280 (Figure 2) is a tiltrotor aircraft like the V-22 Osprey,
rotorcraft technology.
with engines and rotors at the end of its wings that swivel.
The Sikorsky/Boeing SB-1 (Figure 3) is a compound
The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program is a research and
helicopter, using twin coaxial rotors to provide lift and a
development effort dedicated to discovering, investigating,
pusher propeller to enhance speed.
and refining the technologies that is to provide the next
generation of vertical lift aircraft for the United States
Figure 1. FLRAA Schedule
Armed Forces. According to the Army, the goal of the
program is 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 six modernization
priorities. The Marine Corps and Navy also plan to use
FVL-derived technology in their next-generation rotorcraft.
Although the FVL effort is intended to benefit all services,
Source: FY2022 budget submission for Research, Development,
and elements of the work are joint, the Army is the lead
Test & Evaluation, Army.
service, and most funding for the program is included in the
Army’s R&D budget.
In the FY2020 Defense Appropriation Act, Congress added
$75.6 million for competitive demonstration and risk
FVL is in a fairly early stage, and aircraft likely to result
reduction (CD&RR) in FVL, focused on FLRAA. The main
from this program’s work are not expected to be operational
step from technology demonstrators to competitive aircraft,
until the early 2030s. However, in April 2018, then-Army
CD&RR will be a two-year effort designed to prepare the
Secretary Mark Esper directed the FVL team to determine
competing systems for projected contract award in the
whether promising technologies could be incorporated into
second quarter of FY2022. On March 18, 2020, the Army
a new aircraft within 10 years.
granted Bell and Sikorsky CD&RR project agreements. The
two were given a formal request for proposals in July 2021.
History
FVL officially began in 2009, and the strategic plan for the
Figure 2. Bell V-280 Valor
project was issued in October 2011. The pace of work has
varied over time due to shifting Army budget priorities.
The Army is also resolving an internal debate as to its
priorities. While the FVL development focus had been 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 smaller platform.
FVL is currently looking at five basic categories (or
“capability sets”) of aircraft varying in size, but the initial
foci are a medium transport platform capable of succeeding
the Army UH-60 Black Hawk and Marine H-1 “Huey”
utility helicopters—the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft
Source: Bel .
(FLRAA)—and a scout platform roughly in the role of the
current Apache, now called the Future Attack and
Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). Heavy-lift variants may
follow.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program
Figure 3. Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant
Figure 5. Bell 360 Invictus Concept
Source: Sikorsky.
Source: Bel .
FARA
Figure 6. FARA Schedule
Five competitors originally developed technologies for
FARA. Those awards went to
AVX/L-3;
Bell;
Boeing;
Karem Aircraft/Raytheon/Northrop Grumman; and
Sikorsky.
Source: FY2022 budget submission for Research, Development,
On March 25, 2020, the Army narrowed the competition to
Test & Evaluation, Army.
Sikorsky and Bell for the final design, build, and test phase,
Funding
which is expected to provide the required data for a FARA
contract award in FY2024.
FVL funding is carried in the Research and Development,
Army budget in PE 0603801A, Aviation Advanced
Sikorsky is already flying a prototype FARA, the S-97
Development. That budget was funded at $213.5 million in
Raider. Bell has revealed its FARA concept, the 360
FY2021; the FY2022 request is for $448.4 million.
Invictus.
Separately, the FY2022 request for FARA (under the same
PE) is $650.2 million.
Figure 4. Sikorsky S-97 Raider
Since its inception, FVL has relied on investment by
industry to advance its technologies. Although the
companies have not released exact figures, they have
consistently pushed for the Army to increase its
commitment to the R&D phase and to define a deployment
schedule and plan that could inform corporate investment
decisions.
Jeremiah Gertler, Specialist in Military Aviation
IF11367
Source: Sikorsky.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program
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