Coming to an LZ near you
Sikorsky Lockheed Defiant X
The Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program is intended to fly alongside, complement and greatly expand upon the Army’s Black Hawk helicopter, with first fielding in the 2030s and fly well into the second half of the 21st century.
It is part of the Future Vertical Lift program intended to improve, reshape and actually change paradigms for air attack and assault helicopter missions moving into future decades.
The Army is now working with two competing vendors, Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing, in a developmental phase for the FLRAA aircraft wherein designers and builders are submitting their formal configuration proposals.
LC sends.
The Defiant X Is a Brutally Powerful Helicopter
And it may replace the Black Hawk.
By Rupendra Brahambhatt
Imagine a military helicopter that can carry US army soldiers to the roughest war zones in the world, and at a top speed of around twice as fast as the Black Hawk. Defiant X, the newest advanced utility helicopter and air assault weapon system from Sikorsky and Boeing promises to be an innovative long-range assault helo.
A formidable contestant in the competition for US Army’s Future Long Range Air Assault (FLRAA) contract, Defiant X is designed to meet the country’s current and future requirements for vertical lift airborne missions. This state-of-the-art flying machine could possibly transform the way the US army will deal with enemies in the coming 20 years and beyond.
Defiant X is an upgraded version of Lockheed Martin’s SB-1 Defiant demonstrator (Sikorsky is owned by Lockheed Martin Corporation). The modified aircraft has the same surname as little brother Raider X, which is Lockheed’s submission for the Army’s other helicopter competition — the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. Both aircraft are built off Sikorsky’s X2 demonstrator first flew in 2008.
The SB-1 was submitted for the FLRAA in 2021 which seeks to find a replacement for the Black Hawk utility helicopters that have been serving the US army since 1979.
So how’s it look?
Remember, I’m a mission systems test guy, not air vehicle. There is some cross-over, though. Counter-rotating blades eliminate the need for the Achilles’ Heel of an anti-torque tail rotor, and rear prop fitted on this one seems to be for additional speed.
Thanks, LC.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Big Army, Guest Link
All we can say is Wow. Wow..WOW!!!!
AW1Ed and Ed, Thank You sharing!!!
LC:
Want to say Thank You as well for sharing the article….😉😊👍👍
We are still saying WOW!
“…first fielding in the 2030s…” That’ll probably be too late for it to do us any good. Vinni Millie will have surrendered by then.
Remember the thread awhile back on the SR71? IIRC, that one was like 18 months from concept to flight…without computers to do the designing and no where near the level of tech we have today. THAT’S the kind of innovation and drive we need today. China will not give us till the 2030s.
China may not give us till 2023. You can bet the farm they’re watching the Ukraine situation and we’re in a losing position either way. If Biden blinks and backs down, they’ll know he won’t defend Taiwan.
Conversely, if Biden gets us into a war in Ukraine, China will know we don’t have the military capabilities or the will to fight a two-front war and invade Taiwan.
Ol’ Poe wouldn’t want to be living on Taiwan right now…
Biden will put his head down on the desk and start openly sobbing. Someone will whisper in his ear that is all a big simulation… like a game and not real… and then he will chipper right back and promise to make america great again..
Yup. Chicoms gonna chicom.
New shiny thing vs other new shiny things ,debate with Sprey aka Fighter Mafia.
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Defiant X: I’m gonna replace you, Blackhawk.
UH-64 Blackhawk: Ha Ha, OK good luck, rookie. You’ll probably last as long as that last hotshot chopper, RAH-66 Comanche.
Ahem…
This thing is super cool. As an employee of an. . . associated company. . . I’ve been watching this competition. The Defiant X (and it’s attack recon brother Raider X) are just awesome. I think they may be a game changer in the same way the Ospreys are compared to the twin rotor jobs.
The way things are going, it’ll cost $35Trillion and be fielded by the time my grandkids retire.
This thing is FAST! So I’m a stones’ throw-ish away from Sikorsky and they test flight up near me toward the east coast nav beacon. I was out hunting spring turkey in 2020 near that location and heard what I thought was a Chinook, but sounded strange. As it approached I knew it was something different, broke cover and saw this thing up close.
I could tell by the engine speed that it wasn’t even trying and doing well over 200.
Bad. Ass.
I can’t wait for us to get $2B into developing this, have a couple of airworthy prototypes that deliver on all the promises and kick ass, and then have the program canceled months before it’s ready to go to serial production.
Let’s make some more expensive pieces for the Ft Rucker Army Aviation Museum!
Too many moving parts.
Keep it simple.
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It has hardly any solar panels. It’s like it just wants us to all die of climate change.
I just wonder how much of this has already been leaked to China by the Joke Biteme administration?
As long as the big guy gets his 10% and soft-serve before nap time we uneducated russian propagandists will be permitted the social credits to withdraw an extra unit of almost-meat for Saint George Floyd Day on the 4th of July.
All Praise the Beneficent State!