Aerospace
Textron’s Bell V-280 Valor Chosen as New U.S. Army Long-Range Assault Aircraft
Bell Textron Inc., a Textron firm, has been granted the development contract for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program.
Bell Textron Inc., a Textron firm, has been granted the development contract for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme. The award is based on Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor, which was constructed and tested as part of the 2013 Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator programme. The V-280 went through design, manufacturing, and over three years of intensive flight testing, which gave considerable data verifying the aircraft’s technological and operational advantages for the long-range assault mission.
“We are honored that the U.S. Army has selected the Bell V-280 Valor as its next-generation assault aircraft,” said Scott C. Donnelly, Textron’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We intend to honor that trust by building a truly remarkable and transformational weapon system to meet the Army’s mission requirements. We are excited to play an important role in the future of Army Aviation.”
This award builds on a decade of the V-280 Valor’s progress through design, manufacturing, and thorough testing to demonstrate that this aircraft will deliver on the FLRAA program requirements. Bell and its industry partners have systematically validated the V-280 aircraft and their modular open systems approach in collaboration with the Army.
