DEFIANT X offers high-speed performance and delivers more combat power. Credit: Sikorsky and Boeing.

A Sikorsky-Boeing team has submitted the DEFIANT X proposal for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme.

FLRAA is one of the Future Vertical Lift efforts underway by the US Army.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The programme is aimed at developing a platform that will replace the US Army’s fleet of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

Prototype FLRAA candidates include the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant and Bell V-280 Valor.

The team’s Defiant X proposal to the US Army included data gathered from the SB-1’s flight testing process.

The Sikorsky-Boeing team noted that they will continue to conduct flight tests and expand SB>1 DEFIANT’s flight envelope.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In a joint statement, Sikorsky president Paul Lemmo and Boeing Defense, Space and Security Vertical Lift vice-president and general manager Mark Cherry said: “Continuing a 75-year partnership with the US Army, providing and sustaining the iconic Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache, the Sikorsky-Boeing team looks to the future with the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft – DEFIANT X.

“Today, Team DEFIANT completed and submitted the proposal for the US Army’s FLRAA competition, offering low-risk, transformational capability that delivers on an army critical modernisation priority and advances the future of army aviation.

“DEFIANT X delivers speed where it matters, survivability, unsurpassed power, manoeuvrability, superior handling in any environment and lower lifecycle costs while operating in the same footprint as the Black Hawk.”

With operational features almost like the Black Hawk, DEFIANT X delivers capabilities such as efficient sustainment, advanced manufacturing techniques and reduced training time and costs.

In addition, the helicopter’s open system approach allows the US Army to easily upgrade DEFIANT X in the future.

In March this year, Bell Textron said it is executing the Competitive Demonstration and Risk Reduction (CD&RR) contract phase two for the FLRAA programme.

In 2019, Sikorsky and Boeing performed the first flight of SB>1 DEFIANT helicopter in Florida, US.