Vertical Flight

The Navy earlier this month issued a request for information to identify contractors capable of providing ground-based training for the service's new training helicopter, dubbed TH-XX, according to a Federal Business Opportunities notice.

The Army plans to replace all UH-60 Black Hawk A models in the National Guard by fiscal year 2022 and in the active force by 2024, according to a service official.

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The Army's Future Vertical Lift cross-functional team is nearly ready for the competitive phase of its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program after establishing the base requirements for a future rotorcraft through the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator.

The Army nearly quadruples funding for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft in its fiscal year 2020 request over its FY-19 projection as the service plans to rapidly pull forward development of the light-attack reconnaissance helicopter.

The Army's $182.3 billion fiscal year 2020 budget request would advance key service priorities through new research and development projects, including funding for contract awards supporting the Next Generation Combat Vehicle program and completion of the initial design phase for a major helicopter replacement program.

The Combat Rescue Helicopter program office is aiming for a September 2019 milestone C decision, despite concerns from the Pentagon’s senior weapons tester.

The Pentagon's effort to modernize the Afghan Air Force with UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters may lack trained pilots and maintenance personnel to operate the new aircraft, according to a bi-annual report submitted to Congress.

Neither Boeing nor Lockheed Martin will compete to build the Navy's next training helicopter, company spokeswomen told Inside Defense this week following the request for proposals' publication.

The Air Force has formally established a $3.8 billion cost estimate for the UH-1N replacement program -- a price tag that is 65 percent higher than the $2.3 billion contract award announced in September when the service picked Boeing to build a fleet of MH-139 utility helicopters.