The Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant successfully completed FLRAA mission profile test flights, including confined area landings and low-level flight operations.
These flights validate Defiant’s suitability for the Army mission, providing on-target agility (also known as “X”) and increased survivability, while reducing pilot workload.
“We have fully demonstrated Defiant’s ability to execute the FLRAA mission profile by flying at 236 knots in level flight, then reducing thrust on the thruster to decelerate rapidly as it approaches the confined and unconfined landing zone. improved,” said Bill Fell, Defiant’s flight test manager. pilot at Sikorsky and a retired U.S. Army Master Airman. “This type of horizontal body deceleration allowed us to maintain situational awareness and see the landing zone throughout the approach and landing without the typical nose-up helicopter deceleration. This confined area was extremely narrow, requiring us to delay the descent until almost above the landing point, followed by a nearly vertical drop.We landed DEFIANT precisely on the objective with little effort as we descend into this narrow hole while maintaining clearance on all sides.
SB>1 Defiant is the technological demonstrator proving the transformation capabilities of the Defiant X weapon system, proposed by the Sikorsky-Boeing team for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition as part of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift program. Defiant X will allow aircrews to fly low and fast over complex terrain, where Army Airmen spend most of their time. It will extend the capabilities of Army aviation to the modern battlefield – and is designed to fit into the same footprint as a BLACK HAWK. With Defiant X, the US military will deliver troops and cargo in future battles at twice the range of the current fleet.
“That’s what we call building combat power quickly, and planes like the Defiant X can do that,” said Tony Crutchfield, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and now vice president of communications systems. the army at Boeing. “In the Pacific, this is all the more important as your lines of operation will be dispersed over a large area; you’re going to have these little bases and supply lines that will be positioned either on ships or on islands. You’re going to want to move more assets, maneuver in confined terrain, and survive to build that combat power faster than your opponent can – so you can win.
Defiant X incorporates Sikorsky X2 technology to operate at high speeds while maintaining low speed handling qualities. This essential capability provides pilots with increased maneuverability and survivability in high-risk environments, allowing them to penetrate enemy defenses while reducing exposure to enemy fire. The Defiant X’s coaxial X2 rotor system and thrust propeller allow for a high degree of maneuverability in and around the target, which also directly relates to survivability.
Provocative achievements include:
* Bank turns greater than 60 degrees.
* Demonstrate mission-relevant cargo capability by lifting a 5,300-pound Guided Multiple Launch System external load.
* Exceed 245 knots in level flight.
* Demonstrated Level 1 low-speed agility with fly-by-wire controls.
* Integration of US Army test pilots into the Defiant program.
* Based on Collier Award-winning X2 technology.
Together, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and Boeing have built 90% of the US Army’s current military rotorcraft and have logged more than 15 million flight hours. We are the team that came up with iconic military rotorcraft including: Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache.
The iconic UH-60 Black Hawk has proven to be the world’s premier assault platform and Defiant X will provide the transformative capability the future long range assault aircraft needs.
