-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
FLRAA and FARA update
- Thread starter phrogdriver
- Start date
Bell Textron’s Valor wins Army’s FLRAA competition to replace Black Hawk
Maybe @phrogdriver can take a break from griping about the TH-73 for a while
Maybe @phrogdriver can take a break from griping about the TH-73 for a while
Thanks for the update.Bell Textron’s Valor wins Army’s FLRAA competition to replace Black Hawk
Maybe @phrogdriver can take a break from griping about the TH-73 for a while
With the focus on the expanses of the Pacific, I don’t think there was much doubt the Army would select the tilt rotors range and speed.
With tensions ratcheting up everywhere, wonder if DoD will mandate the production be split among different companies to maintain the industrial base?
Never underestimate the ability of the Army to fuck away an entire acquisition program. Let’s just hope it’s not manufactured/assembled in 45 separate states and over 10 countries like a certain airplane we all know about.
Tanking? I admittedly don't know much about the V-280, but in all the pictures the pointy thing off the nose looks like a test/prototype pitot-static probe.
This is exactly what I've been hearing. Production model plumbed for air refueling probe to be attached as a kit at the unit level.
Just in case you were wondering about this…
Lockheed Martin Sikorsky, Boeing file protest over US Army FLRAA contract - ROTOR Media
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has filed a protest asking the US Government Accountability Office to review the US Army’s decision on the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract.
rotormedia.com
Of course they did. They’d be happy if FVL died altogether and we kept flying H-60s until the sun runs out of hydrogen.Just in case you were wondering about this…
Lockheed Martin Sikorsky, Boeing file protest over US Army FLRAA contract - ROTOR Media
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has filed a protest asking the US Government Accountability Office to review the US Army’s decision on the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract.rotormedia.com
…and exactly zero programmed tankers to support it. I’d be surprised if only a handful of conventional Army assault aircrew actually remain current and qualified in TAAR. The only reason Marine assault support aircraft can maintain any semblance of currency is because of dedicated VMGR support. Unlikely the USAF is going to pony up C-130s at the cyclic rate to support that training Army wide. Depending on how FARA shakes out any TAAR will likely out range the capability of any dedicated RW escorts. (Yes, I know it provides extended contingency holding, flexibility, sour tanker plans etc). The lack of dedicated USAF fixed wing escorts is also problematic. The Marines are also in this problem but to a lesser extent. Marine TACAIR platforms are limited in escort capabilities and should probably be off doing pointy nose things anyways.
I am curious how the FLARA decision will influence the FARA program. Both Bell and Sikorsky are submitting somewhat conventional RW designs. Both of which are probably not apt to support the V-280. I get it coax rotors, pusher props, and wings help speed/range, but I am not convinced it will be able to support the FLRAA decision. Anyone have a copy of the FARA requirements specs? I’m taking a wild shot in the dark here but I am assuming the Army has thought through the problem set and I am just ignorant.
I don't think the USAF has any KC-130s. I'm 99.999% sure it's all -135s and KC-10s.
So, good luck to the Army getting support from the VMGRs. They're already tapped out.
And I'm not sure if the KC-10 or KC-135 can get slow enough to refuel helos.
MC-130J is the organic tanker for AFSOC/SOCOM low speed progue and drogue tanking CV-22, HH-60W, MH-47G, MH-60M, etc.
You may be overestimating these problems. In the V-22 (USAF) air refueling is a 6 month currency and can be accomplished in the sim provided you plug twice total in real life every year. It doesn't have to be a -130 either; KC-10, KC-46, and contract tankers (Omega for example) can all support. I've also been hearing rumors of serious discussions to procure the KC-390 but worst case only few select air assault units maintain currency but it's nice to have the option if you know your unit will need it on an upcoming deployment. We have 10 years to figure this out so it's not an urgent problem.
My understanding of the army's plan is to have a dedicated attack version that would have the same range and speed: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...ts-for-a-future-high-speed-assault-helicopter
What do you mean by a lack of USAF fixed wing escorts? There is no need for enroute escort with a platform like this (except for SEAD), you just need fires in the terminal area which many fixed wing communities train to.