After spending approximately $2 billion, U.S. Army ending Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft
The Army began the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program in 2018. This aircraft was designed by Textron’s Bell unit and Sikorsky. Sikorsky showcased the new helicopter design as one that offered speed, range, and agility not shared by other helicopters. The U.S. Army decided to scrape the program, given the new realities on the battlefield.
From Reuters:
The Army said that after a “sober assessment of the modern battlefield” it would instead increase investment in uncrewed aircraft.
“We are learning from the battlefield – especially in Ukraine – that aerial reconnaissance has fundamentally changed,” Army Chief of Staff General Randy George said in a statement.
The Army began the FARA program in 2018 and two years later picked designs by Textron’s Bell unit (TXT.N), opens new tab and Sikorsky, a division of Lockheed Martin Company (LMT.N), opens new tab.
Sikorsky said in a statement that its X2 aircraft, designed for the FARA program, offered “speed, range and agility that no other helicopter in the world can match.”
“We remain confident in X2 aircraft for U.S. and international mission needs now and in the future,” Sikorsky said. “We are disappointed in this decision and will await a U.S. Army debrief to better understand its choice.”
Reuters has additional information.
Category: Army, Army News, Government Incompetence
dupe
A coupla billion here, a coupla billion there and next thing you know, we’re talking real money.
“We are learning from the battlefield – especially in Ukraine…”
Finally learning the real reason for that war?
Might makes right?
Might makes some wealthy people wealthier.
But: quite a few people made millions (billions?) off this endeavor
That’s too bad, the Sikorsky Raider looked like it would be bad ass.
Might as well cut the losses now.
With the rapid advancement of drones and the expected adoption of AI driven anti-aviation batteries and air to air attack drones, a conventional attack helicopter is an expensive liability that will be easily countered long before it has a decent operational lifespan in the military arsenal.
It was designed for a future conflict that is going to be very different than we thought when we started the project.
Oops, replied to the wrong thread. Meant to post this on the attack helicopter thread.
Nope. This is the “Attack Reconnaissance” thread. Entirely different.
What I wanted to post on this thread is an update to my short and tall yellow school bus. I posted a call for applications last year for my company, Cuttlefish Junta Staffing Support. I am still taking applications. I took this bus for a run. My bus driver and my mechanic were with me. My bus driver asked me for directions. We were coming up at an intersection. I responded the way I responded best when under pressure. I cracked like an egg and folded like a lawn chair. I screamed and panicked. My mechanic saved the day. He was on the poop deck in the back taking care of business. He screamed that we should take a left and haul ass. My bus driver did that.
When he hauled ass, the bus acted like a space capsule on reentry. A bridge came up. My bus driver asked me what to do. I screamed and panicked again. My mechanic said nothing. My bus driver kept driving until the top of the bus hit the bridge. We made it through, but I lost the top of my bus. It was not until my bus driver slammed the brakes that I found out that my mechanic also lost his head. His body flew from the back and right through the front of what was left of the window. I am looking for a new mechanic and a new bus driver. I am still taking applications.
FARA out man…
It’s just taxpayer money. It’s not like it’s real money!
SARC/off!
With a name like
“Attack Reconnaissance” I would be surprised if it didn’t fail. I am just a bit surprised it wasn’t “Tactical Combat Attack Reconnaissance Warrior” Aircraft.
Hell, for ten years I thought they meant they were going to use the damn thing to attack the enemy recon. I guess somebody figured out they were building something for a mission that doesn’t actually exist and gave it the axe.