https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated July 13, 2021
Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program
The major combat rotorcraft platforms in U.S. inventory—
the Chinook, Black Hawk, Apache, and Kiowa Warrior—
are based on designs from the 1960s and 1970s. While
several are still in production or remanufacture, the Army is
leading DOD’s effort to move to a new generation of
rotorcraft technology.
The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program is a research and
development effort dedicated to discovering, investigating,
and refining the technologies that is to provide the next
generation of vertical lift aircraft for the United States
Armed Forces. According to the Army, the goal of the
program is to develop technologies that improve
“maneuverability, range, speed, payload, survivability,
reliability, and reduced logistical footprint” compared with
current rotorcraft.
The Army lists FVL as one of its top six modernization
priorities. The Marine Corps and Navy also plan to use
FVL-derived technology in their next-generation rotorcraft.
Although the FVL effort is intended to benefit all services,
and elements of the work are joint, the Army is the lead
service, and most funding for the program is included in the
Army’s R&D budget.
FVL is in a fairly early stage, and aircraft likely to result
from this program’s work are not expected to be operational
until the early 2030s. However, in April 2018, then-Army
Secretary Mark Esper directed the FVL team to determine
whether promising technologies could be incorporated into
a new aircraft within 10 years.
History
FVL officially began in 2009, and the strategic plan for the
project was issued in October 2011. The pace of work has
varied over time due to shifting Army budget priorities.
The Army is also resolving an internal debate as to its
priorities. While the FVL development focus had been on
the medium-lift Black Hawk helicopter replacement, Army
officials have more recently noted a larger capability gap in
the attack/reconnaissance fleet, and are considering whether
to shift focus to that smaller platform.
FVL is currently looking at five basic categories (or
“capability sets”) of aircraft varying in size, but the initial
foci are a medium transport platform capable of succeeding
the Army UH-60 Black Hawk and Marine H-1 “Huey”
utility helicopters—the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft
(FLRAA)—and a scout platform roughly in the role of the
current Apache, now called the Future Attack and
Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). Heavy-lift variants may
follow.
FLRAA
Bell and Sikorsky (with Boeing) have produced
demonstrators for FLRAA. The two companies are taking
different technology approaches to their efforts. The Bell
V-280 (Figure 2) is a tiltrotor aircraft like the V-22 Osprey,
with engines and rotors at the end of its wings that swivel.
The Sikorsky/Boeing SB-1 (Figure 3) is a compound
helicopter, using twin coaxial rotors to provide lift and a
pusher propeller to enhance speed.
Figure 1. FLRAA Schedule
Source: FY2022 budget submission for Research, Development,
Test & Evaluation, Army.
In the FY2020 Defense Appropriation Act, Congress added
$75.6 million for competitive demonstration and risk
reduction (CD&RR) in FVL, focused on FLRAA. The main
step from technology demonstrators to competitive aircraft,
CD&RR will be a two-year effort designed to prepare the
competing systems for projected contract award in the
second quarter of FY2022. On March 18, 2020, the Army
granted Bell and Sikorsky CD&RR project agreements. The
two were given a formal request for proposals in July 2021.
Figure 2. Bell V-280 Valor
Source: Bell.
