Sikorsky continues to investigate new markets for its X2 compound coaxial helicopter technology following the loss of its appeal last week to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of the Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) award to Bell. In February, Sikorsky unveiled plans to potentially offer an aircraft positioned between the Raider-X, its ongoing efforts to compete in the Army’s Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, and the Defiant-X design it was proposing for FLRAA in partnership with Boeing.
The Army awarded that contract to Bell based on its V-280 tiltrotor technology late last year. The FLRAA program seeks to produce new vertical lift aircraft to augment and eventually replace the H‑60 Black Hawk utility helicopter fleet, beginning in 2030. While the initial production contracts are estimated to have a value of $7.1 billion, the program could ultimately be worth north of $80 billion.
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