Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation has introduced its new light-attack reconnaissance helicopter, RAIDER X, at the AUSA 2019 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C.
The Lockheed Martin affiliate said in a Monday, October 14 release that RAIDER X, which is equipped for the “most demanding and contested environments,” was designed for “securing vertical lift dominance against evolving peer and near-peer threats on the future battlefield.”
According to Sikorsky, the helicopter has highly responsive maneuverability, enhanced low-speed hover, off-axis hover, and level acceleration and braking. In addition, the aircraft is highly adaptable. With the help of modern open systems architecture (MOSA)-based avionics and mission systems, Raider X offers “plug-and-play” options for computing, sensors, survivability and weapons.
The helicopter’s design is expected to decrease aircraft operating costs, according to Sikorsky, since the aircraft utilizes new technologies to shift to self-monitoring and condition-based maintenance as opposed to more traditional routine maintenance and inspections.
“RAIDER X converges everything we’ve learned in years of developing, testing and refining X2 Technology and delivers warfighters a dominant, survivable and intelligent system that will excel in tomorrow’s battle space where aviation overmatch is critical,” said Frank St. John, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin rotary and mission systems.