With one memo, the US Army has drastically re-shaped the future composition of its rotary aviation fleet.
The service on 8 February announced it will end the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, intended to develop a next-generation scout aircraft. Instead, the service will invest more into existing aircraft.
“To meet emerging capability requirements in a resource constrained environment, the army today announced it will rebalance its aviation modernisation investments across new and enduring platforms,” the service says.
Rather than a new manned reconnaissance rotorcraft, the army will make new investments into its current aircraft and prioritise the development of new uncrewed aerial reconnaissance assets.
The FARA initiative sought to deliver a replacement to the retired Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior scout helicopter, while providing a generational leap in range, speed and firepower.
The army provided billions of dollars to competitors Bell and Sikorsky, both of which had nearly completed flightworthy prototypes. Those designs – the 360 Invictus and Raider X – were set to lift-off for the first time in 2024.
However, that flight may still happen as the army says it intends to fund FARA prototyping through the autumn of 2024. Neither Bell nor Sikorsky were able to comment on plans for flight testing.
While budgetary constraints were a major factor in the FARA decision, the army says recent battlefield observations also shaped its choice to walk away from the programme.
“We are learning from the battlefield – especially in Ukraine,” says army chief of staff General Randy George.
“Aerial reconnaissance has fundamentally changed,” he adds. “Sensors and weapons mounted on a variety of unmanned systems and in space are more ubiquitous, further reaching, and more inexpensive than ever before.”
The decision will not impact the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme, which aims to deliver a successor to the iconic Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk multi-role helicopter.
Bell prevailed over Sikorsky in that contest with its V-280 Valor tiltrotor. The army plans to field the first operational aircraft in 2030.
Instead of funding FARA, the army says it will move to create a full procurement programme for the Boeing CH-47F Chinook Block II heavy-lift helicopter – a significant win for the airframer.
The army says it will work with Boeing to develop a path to full-rate production for the latest version of the venerable tandem-rotor type.
While vertical flight pioneer Sikorsky was dealt a significant blow with the army’s decision to end FARA development, the Lockheed Martin subsidiary still stands to benefit.
Sikorsky will lose the opportunity to produce a new aircraft for the US Army, but the service will continue purchasing new Black Hawks – a prospect that had previously seemed unlikely.
The army realignment plan commits to a new, multi-year contract for the UH-60M.
“We are disappointed in this decision and will await a US Army debrief to better understand its choice,” Sikorsky says.
“There must be a transformational improvement in rotorcraft systems capabilities – and a strong engineering workforce that can strengthen the nation’s leading edge in rotorcraft innovation,” the company adds.
Rival Bell similarly expressed disappointment in the FARA decision.
“Bell remains confident in our ready-to-test FARA prototype for the army’s requirements,” the Textron subsidiary says. “We will apply the knowledge and demonstrated successes of our FARA development efforts on future aircraft.”
GE Aerospace will also be impacted by the army’s new aviation strategy.
The FARA programme included the development of a new clean-sheet engine – the GE T901 Improved Turbine Engine. The powerplant for the demonstrator aircraft was only delivered to Sikorsky and Bell in October 2023.
While the FARA aircraft may never see active service, the T901 will begin replacing the T700 engine currently used on all Boeing AH-64E Apache and UH-60M/V helicopters.
However, the army says it will delay production of the T901 “to ensure adequate time to integrate it with AH-64 and UH-60 platforms”.
The sweeping changes to army aviation strategy decision will impact not just battlefield operations, but also the USA’s rotary aviation industry for decades to come.
Army leaders say preserving the existing industrial capacity became a greater priority than developing a new aircraft.
“Without re-prioritising funds in its constrained aviation portfolio, the army faced the unacceptable risk of decline and closure of production and sustainment lines for the Chinook and Black Hawk fleets,” the service says.
“The army’s new plan will renew and extend production of both aircraft, while also sustaining the experienced workforce and vendor base that underpin the army’s aviation capabilities,” it adds.
Army leaders in 2023 told FlightGlobal that industrial base concerns would not be a consideration in selecting a FARA winner – something that would be prohibited under government procurement rules.
However, those concerns were apparently great enough that service leaders decided to abandon a next-generation aircraft in favour of preserving existing industrial capacity.
The service now says it can “more affordably and effectively” deliver the increased capabilities offered by FARA aircraft by relying on a mix of existing aircraft, unmanned systems and space-based assets.
“Army leadership had to make difficult trade-offs between programmes,” the service says.
“This plan will allow the army to continue building modern capability across its aviation portfolio while funding other critical priorities in future budgets,” it adds.
