GE Aerospace has secured a subcontract from Bell Textron to design, develop, and deliver avionics systems for the US Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program.
The award follows Bell’s Milestone B approval in August 2024, advancing the program into the engineering and manufacturing development phase.
Under the subcontract, GE Aerospace will develop a digital backbone for the future attack helicopter, incorporating Time-Sensitive Networking for high-speed, reliable data exchange.
The system will also enable rapid platform upgrades and reconfiguration without requiring the involvement of a systems integrator.
“Entering this next phase enables us to continue advancing the digital backbone for the US Army’s future vertical lift programs,” General Manager of Future Vertical Lift at GE Aerospace Tanika Watson said.
“The Digital Backbone provides the framework to make aircraft system modifications and realize the benefits of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) designs from the outset of Future Vertical Lift programs.”
In addition to the digital backbone, GE Aerospace will provide the health awareness system for the FLRAA.
Future Long Range Assault Aircraft
Bell won the $1.3 billion FLRAA production contract in December 2022, edging out a joint bid from Sikorsky and Boeing.
The company’s winning V-280 Valor tiltrotor is claimed to have twice the range and endurance of existing military helicopters.
It has a stated cruising speed of 280 knots (320 miles/520 kilometers per hour) and a top speed of 300 knots (345 miles/556 kilometers per hour).
Additional features include improved flight performance and enhanced lifecycle sustainability.
The aircraft is intended to replace approximately 2,000 Black Hawk and 1,200 Apache helicopters.
The first flight is scheduled for 2026, with low-rate initial production beginning in 2028 and initial fielding in 2030.
