Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Program Proposed Cancellation: Background and Issues for Congress
February 16, 2024
Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Program
Proposed Cancellation: Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
survivability. The Army funds development for FVL in its
On February 8, 2024, the U.S. Army announced, as part of
research and development account in Program Element
a major proposed restructuring of its aviation programs, that
(PE) 0603801A, Aviation Advanced Development.
it seeks to cancel the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft
(FARA) program in its FY2025 budget request. FARA is
The Army sought to field two key FVL platforms in the
part of a larger Army effort to develop advanced
early 2030s: FARA and FLRAA. The FLRAA program,
technology platforms to improve its existing rotorcraft and
which is developing a replacement for the Black Hawk
replace the Army’s Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters and
helicopter, is ongoing. The Army in 2022 awarded a $1.3
Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopters. The Army has proposed to
billion contract to Bell Textron to deliver an FLRAA
continue funding research and development for FARA in
prototype based on the firm’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor aircraft
FY2024. An issue facing Congress is whether to approve,
to the Army by 2025. The Army says it anticipates
reject, or modify the Army’s proposal to cancel the FARA
equipping an initial unit with FLRAA aircraft by FY2030.
program for FY2025.
FARA Program Overview
Context for Announcement
The FARA program aims at developing a helicopter that
The Army announced its intention to cancel the FARA
can conduct armed reconnaissance and scouting missions
program during a period of rapid proliferation of uncrewed
for other aviation units with better performance, agility, and
aircraft and related technology. “We are learning from the
range than the older Army aircraft it would replace—the
battlefield, especially Ukraine, that aerial reconnaissance
Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter and the Bell OH-58
has fundamentally changed,” said Army Chief of Staff
Kiowa helicopter. (The last OH-58s were retired in 2020.)
General Randy George, in announcing the proposal to
The Army requested $428.9 million in FY2024 research
cancel FARA.
and development funding for the FARA program, and
programmed about $3.5 billion in additional research and
Canceling FARA would be at least the fourth major change
development funding in FY2025-FY2028.
to Army aviation programs in the past 20 years. The service
canceled three prior efforts to replace its attack or scout
Table 1. U.S. Army’s FY2024 FARA Budget Request
helicopters: the Comanche attack helicopter in 2004, the
($ in millions)
Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter in 2008, and the Armed
Aerial Scout in 2014.
FY2025-
FY2028
Along with its proposal to cancel the FARA program, the
FY2025
FY2026
FY2027
FY2028
Total
Army is also proposing to delay development of the engine
657
755
1,054
1,066
3,532
that would power FARA, phase out the Army’s fleets of
Shadow and Raven Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs),
Source: Justification Book (army.mil).
modify its UH-60 helicopter procurement plans, and
Note: The service indicated on February 8, 2024, that it wil revise
increase investment in the Future Long-range Assault
future spending plans in its upcoming FY2025 request.
Aircraft (FLRAA), the CH-47F Block II Chinook
helicopter, and UASs.
Key design attributes for FARA include a maximum gross
Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Effort
weight of 14,000 pounds, a 40-foot-diameter rotor, and the
ability to fly at 180 knots (about 207 miles per hour) with a
The FARA program is a major component of a larger Army
single engine, the General Electric Aerospace T901
effort to modernize its aviation portfolio. The Army began
Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) powerplant.
that effort, called Future Vertical Lift (FVL), in 2009.
Under FVL, the Army has sought to upgrade aviation assets
Five firms or industry teams initially competed for the
that were originally developed in the 1960s and 1970s,
FARA program: AVX, teamed with L-3; Bell; Boeing;
including the Black Hawk medium-transport helicopter, the
Karem Aircraft/Raytheon and Northrop Grumman; and
Apache attack aircraft, and the Kiowa Warrior scout
Sikorsky. In 2020, the Army narrowed the competition to
helicopter.
Bell and Sikorsky, awarding contracts to each firm to
design, build, and test FARA prototypes. Sikorsky has been
FVL is focused on replacing Cold War-era aircraft with
flying its FARA prototype, the S-97 Raider, since 2015.
new rotorcraft that have improved technology, including a
Bell said in June 2023 that it plans to fly its FARA
smaller logistical footprint and better maneuverability,
prototype—the 360 Invictus—in 2024. Under its proposed
payload capacity, range, reliability, speed, and
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Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Program Proposed Cancellation: Background and Issues for Congress
restructuring, the Army is proposing to complete FY2024
efforts. FTUAS is a planned replacement for the Army’s
FARA prototyping activities before ending the FARA
AAI RQ-7B Shadow UAS. In the fall of 2023, the Army
program.
awarded contracts to design and build FTUAS prototypes to
Griffon Aerospace for its Valiant UAS and Textron
In 2021, Army officials suggested that meeting FARA’s
Systems for its Aerosonde Mk. 4.8 Hybrid Quad UAS.
requirements for speed, range, endurance, and payload at
FTUASs are expected to penetrate highly defended areas by
the aircraft’s planned size could be difficult, if not
using launched effects, which are small drones that can be
impossible. Two years later, the Army announced that due
launched by other aircraft.
to delays to the engine development effort, the FARA
program would not begin engineering and manufacturing
Issues for Congress
development until FY2026. The service at that time also
In reviewing the Army’s proposed restructuring of its
said it was starting an analysis of alternatives (AOA) for the
aviation programs, including its proposed cancellation of
FARA program. An AOA is a formal analysis that is to be
the FARA program, Congress may consider a number of
conducted prior to the start of an acquisition program to
potential oversight questions, including but not necessarily
identify the best or most promising way to meet an
limited to the following:
identified mission need. At the time that the Army
announced the FARA AOA, the service had already spent
• What analysis did the Army conduct in support of its
$2 billion on the FARA program.
proposed restructuring of its aviation programs? Has the
Army provided this analysis to Congress? If not, when
ITEP Engine
does the Army plan to do so?
The Army had sought GE’s T901 to not only power FARA
but also serve as an improved engine for Apache and Black
• Does the Army’s proposed restructuring of its aviation
Hawk helicopters. GE was selected to develop the ITEP
programs, particularly the proposed cancellation of the
engine in 2019. GE says that compared with the prior
FARA program, have a firm analytical foundation?
engine in the series, the GE T700, the T901 would increase
Would canceling the FARA program be the most cost-
power by 50% and be 25% more fuel efficient.
effective path going forward?
The ITEP program was originally scheduled to deliver a
• Given past significant shifts in Army plans for its
prototype for the two FARA competitors by the end of
aviation programs, including the cancellation of three
2022, but the delivery date was delayed until the spring of
pre-FARA efforts to develop replacements for its attack
2023, and then again to early 2024. Under the Army’s
or scout helicopters, how much confidence could
proposed restructuring, the ITEP effort would be further
Congress have that the Army would not eventually
slowed, but the engine would still be integrated into Apache
cancel the approach to its aviation programs that it
and Black Hawk helicopters. The Army requested $201
proposed on February 8, 2024?
million in FY2024 research and development funding for
the ITEP program. Versions of House and Senate
• Can FARA’s requirements for speed, range, endurance,
appropriations bills would fully fund ITEP.
and payload at the aircraft’s planned size be achieved,
and if so, how much time and funding would be needed
Other Elements of Proposed
to achieve them? Why did the Army not conduct a
Restructuring
FARA AOA prior to spending $2 billion on the FARA
Other elements of the Army’s proposed restructuring of its
program?
aviation programs include the following.
• What would be the potential cost, schedule, and
UH-60
technical risks of the Army’s proposed restructured
The Army intends to stop procuring UH-60V Black Hawks
aviation effort? Would the Army’s communications
due to cost growth and instead seek a new multiyear
network be sufficiently advanced and foolproof by 2030
procurement of the UH-60M, the prior most advanced
to enable teaming between crewed and uncrewed
Black Hawk variant.
aircraft, at scale, for the attack/reconnaissance mission?
CH-47F Block II
• What implications would the Army’s proposed
The Army proposes to use savings from the proposed
restructuring, including the proposed cancellation of the
FARA cancellation for continued procurement of Boeing
FARA program, have for the U.S. rotorcraft industrial
CH-47F Block II helicopters, which transport troops and
base, including both prime contractors and supplier
supplies, resupply weapons and equipment, and conduct
firms? How quickly can the U.S. industrial base ramp up
other cargo operations. The service says the change would
production of UASs in support of the Army’s proposed
put the Block II Chinook on a path to full-rate production.
restructured aviation effort?
FTUAS and Air Launched Effects
To accelerate introduction of UASs into the Army, the
service aims to increase investment in its Future Tactical
Jennifer DiMascio, Analyst in U.S. Defense Policy
Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) program, its
Launched Effects effort, and its commercial small UAS
IF12592
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Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Program Proposed Cancellation: Background and Issues for Congress
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