It is critical for the U.S. Army to receive feedback from industry at this point in the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) effort to ensure timelines are aligned, a program service official says.
The service is preparing for phase two of the effort and for the new vertical lift platform to enter a program of record, Col. David Phillips, FLRAA project manager, told reporters May 7. The request for information (RFI), issued May 6, has three parts to it, he said.
The first section focuses on long lead material, the second section concentrates on contract type, and the third section homes in on schedule.
“The way we’ve been working with industry for the past two to three years, we absolutely value their input and feedback,” Phillips said.
Moving forward, the Army is focused on both the strategy and the schedule, with industry input for the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk replacement.
Specifically, the RFI asks industry to comment on instituting a hybrid fixed price incentive contract during the detailed design and prototype build phases.
The Sikorsky/Boeing SB-1 Defiant team and the Bell V-280 Valor are competing to build FLRAA prototypes, and one platform will be selected in fiscal 2028 for a follow-on production contract. The service envisions the first unit equipped in 2030.
But the RFI seeks industry input for schedule details such as the duration of the design and prototype build phase and prototype delivery. For the design and prototype and build phase, the first option pegs the second quarter of fiscal 2022 and the second option has it begin in the third quarter of fiscal 2022. The options surrounding prototype delivery are at the end of fiscal 2025 or in mid-fiscal 2025. The second option would allow the Army to conduct additional flight testing before the Milestone C production decision.
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