Bell has been awarded a contract to manufacture the V-280 Valor transformable helicopter for the US Army, which requires the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) helicopter of the next generation.
A complaint submitted by Lockheed Martin and Boeing was dismissed. Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, confirmed that it does not intend to litigate. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) rejected the complaint of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, who contended that their Defiant X helicopter was a more suitable and profitable choice for the US Army.
Sikorsky still believes that its development outperforms that of its rival, but it has no plans to go to court. Rather, Sikorsky will concentrate on creating a new aircraft for the US Army under the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. Flight testing of the first prototypes is scheduled to begin in the fiscal year (FY) 2024, and development will continue until FY2026.
Sikorsky will also keep the Black Hawk helicopter operational. The FLRAA project aims to replace 3,200 Apache and Black Hawk helicopters. Bell will receive $1.3 billion to create the V-280 Valor helicopter and $7 billion to begin small-scale production.
The overall cost of the project may exceed $70 billion.