US Army chooses the V-280 to replace the Black Hawk helicopter

[White privilege]

The US army just selected the V-280 for the FLRAA program, twice the range and speed.

Will China follow suit? Perhaps reviving the Mil Mi-30 or a design inspired by the research from that design or a totally new design?

Is this a harbinger of things to come in military aviation?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1599894901948178433

Does it look like a Blackhawk with tilt rotors to anyone else too???

 

[Metal 0-1]

Published combat radius of the Valor

Welp Seems like they offer good capability. t can almost cover the entire CENTCOM AOR

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Cool, I personally liked the Defiant X better. V-280 seems to require a large area for landing/take off.

While the defiant is cooler, the V-280 gives the US a military capability no other country on the planet has. How do you move troops 500-1000km quickly to an area without a landing runway? The only way currently is parachutes and that is only a one-way trip or finding a relatively flat area for a dangerous landing attempt by something like a C-130. Usually helicopters are used for things like this.

Chinook.

Boeing CH-47 Chinook - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Combat range: 200 nmi (230 mi, 370 km)

Super Stallion

Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Combat range: 180 nmi (210 mi, 330 km)

Huey

Bell UH-1Y Venom - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Combat range: 130 nmi (150 mi, 240 km)

Blackhawk

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Combat range: 320 nmi (370 mi, 590 km)

Take the Mi-17. That may just get to 500km without refueling and even if it somehow flew at the max speed of 240km/hr that's still a 2+ hour flight.

The V-280 Valor can go to 1000km and if it flew at the top speed of over 500km/hr it could do that 500km in one hour...half the time of the Mi-17.

But the real question however is what does > 500km to 1000km get you without a runway or parachutes?

The answer is places nobody ever considered possible.

Notice below how these areas were just out of reach for previous generations of 500km helicopters but they are now within reach of 1000km capable ones.

 

[Sineva]

Does it look like a Blackhawk with tilt rotors to anyone else too???

Yeah,I was just thinking that.
At least the rotor design is a big improvement over the osprey,this way they`re only rotating the prop-rotor head itself while the engine stays fixed,so that should simplify the design mechanically to a degree.

For me tho`,the ultimate in covertiplanes will probably always be the rotodyne........sadly like so many other promising british aerospace projects in the 50s it went nowhere,if only it had been american,oh well.

By the way I love your name. ,I wish I`d thought of it.

 

[White privilege]

Yeah,I was just thinking that.
At least the rotor design is a big improvement over the osprey,this way they`re only rotating the prop-rotor head itself while the engine stays fixed,so that should simplify the design mechanically to a degree.

For me tho`,the ultimate in covertiplanes will probably always be the rotodyne........sadly like so many other promising british aerospace projects in the 50s it went nowhere,if only it had been american,oh well.

By the way I love your name. ,I wish I`d thought of it.

 

[jhungary]

This is huge! @F-22Raptor @Bilal Khan (Quwa)
That is 3000 UH-60s to replace - even if they get half of it that is $15 billion or more easy

Not gonna be a complete replacement.

If I have to guess, V-280 is going to take over Medium/Long range lift capability and also cargo transport. While UH/MH-60 remain with SOAR, Air Assault (possibly with V-280) and also Casevac role.

V-280 is probably too big for assorted special operation mission or casevac mission.

 

[FuturePAF]

Does it look like a Blackhawk with tilt rotors to anyone else too???

It looks more like a cargo plane cabin then the black hawk to me. Like a Cessna 208 caravan; like a family model minivan.

While the defiant is cooler, the V-280 gives the US a military capability no other country on the planet has. How do you move troops 500-1000km quickly to an area without a landing runway ? The only way currently is parachutes and that is only a one-way trip or finding a relatively flat area for a dangerous landing attempt by something like a C-130. Usually helicopters are used for things like this.

Take the Mi-17. That may just get to 500km without refueling and even if it somehow flew at the max speed of 240km/hr that's still a 2+ hour flight.

The V-280 Valor can go to 1000km and if it flew at the top speed of over 500km/hr it could do that 500km in one hour...half the time of the Mi-17.

But the real question however is what does > 500km to 1000km get you without a runway or parachutes?

Things nobody ever considered possible.

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Cut the 1000 km in half, to allow for flying in and out, and stick this thing on an LHD, 12 nautical miles of the coast of most of the world, and nearly 500 km from most of the shoreline of the world is the radius of this platform.

That's Ridiculous. V-280 looks absolute dogshit.
Doesn't even have the same combat radius than a Blackhawk.

Muh Based Blackhawks

The Defiant X looks cooler then the Valor, and look more compact.

It will probably get spun off into a navy ASW Platform for the Burkes and the new constellation frigate.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Cut the 1000 km in half, to allow for flying in and out

no need to.

Bell V-280 Valor - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

a top speed of 300 knots (345 mph; 556 km/h),
a range of 2,100 nautical miles (2,400 mi; 3,900 km), and an
effective combat range of 500 to 800 nmi (580 to 920 mi; 930 to 1,480 km).

stick this thing on an LHD,

They already realize the potential of tilt-rotors

V-22 Ospreys on the deck of the LHD USS Wasp.

V-280 smaller and has more range. With engine always facing backwards scorched deck not an issue.

 

[Beny Karachun]

While the defiant is cooler, the V-280 gives the US a military capability no other country on the planet has. How do you move troops 500-1000km quickly to an area without a landing runway? The only way currently is parachutes and that is only a one-way trip or finding a relatively flat area for a dangerous landing attempt by something like a C-130. Usually helicopters are used for things like this.

Take the Mi-17. That may just get to 500km without refueling and even if it somehow flew at the max speed of 240km/hr that's still a 2+ hour flight.

The V-280 Valor can go to 1000km and if it flew at the top speed of over 500km/hr it could do that 500km in one hour...half the time of the Mi-17.

But the real question however is what does > 500km to 1000km get you without a runway or parachutes?

The answer is places nobody ever considered possible.

Notice below how these areas were just out of reach for previous generations of 500km helicopters but they are now within reach of 1000km capable ones.
View attachment 903609

View attachment 903610

View attachment 903634

View attachment 903642

View attachment 903643

View attachment 903631

View attachment 903645

View attachment 903647

Well the first one that could do that was the Osprey, but I guess the V280 will be cheaper and more numerous.

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

This is huge! @F-22Raptor @Bilal Khan (Quwa)
That is 3000 UH-60s to replace - even if they get half of it that is $15 billion or more easy

I'm genuinely surprised they're going for a twin-engine tilt-rotor. I imagine the operating costs are manageable, but the Boeing-Sikorsky offering seemed to have set up the basis for an attack helicopter built on common core inputs. It'll be interesting to see how this impacts FARA.

That said, I think (as people noted earlier), the US may be moving towards a more qualitative focus. Basically, instead of huge mass deployments, it wants to move enough highly trained operators (not SOF) far and fast enough.

 

[Hamza913]

Ugly

Bring back my baby black

 

[Oldman1]

They need to keep both major helicopter manufacturers viable with enough work and funding so R&D projects remain competitive for decades to come. It’s probably also why we saw Northrop get the B-21 program while Lockheed makes fighters.

Bell version.

Sikorsky.

Honestly I think Bell could win this program as well.

I'm genuinely surprised they're going for a twin-engine tilt-rotor. I imagine the operating costs are manageable, but the Boeing-Sikorsky offering seemed to have set up the basis for an attack helicopter built on common core inputs. It'll be interesting to see how this impacts FARA.

That said, I think (as people noted earlier), the US may be moving towards a more qualitative focus. Basically, instead of huge mass deployments, it wants to move enough highly trained operators (not SOF) far and fast enough.

Its a nice looking helo but the Sikorsky version is just way too complex. Especially with that pusher prop. With tilt rotor tech matured, the U.S. Army preferred the Bell version especially besides less complex but with more range and speed compared to this.

 

[FuturePAF]

Bell version.

Sikorsky.

Honestly I think Bell could win this program as well.


Its a nice looking helo but the Sikorsky version is just way too complex. Especially with that pusher prop. With tilt rotor tech matured, the U.S. Army preferred the Bell version especially besides less complex but with more range and speed compared to this.

Now that Bell won the transport contract, the Sikorsky Raider X will probably win the FARA contract to keep Sikorsky financially viable.

Or the Bell FARA option maybe selected by the marines as a replacement for the AH-1Z and the Raider X becoming a replacement of the Apache.

 

[Goritoes]

V-22 Ospreys are my personal favorites when it comes looks and design.

 

[Horse_Rider]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1599892574558310401

https://twitter.com/x/status/1599892392429359104

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US Army pilots about to feel how jets fly! I'm sure they'd have fun due to it's rotary-fixed wing flight capability and speed. I think the Blackhawks will remain deployed in certain theaters. It's just too costly and a very long process to phase out near 350 Blackhawks.

This platform will take a while in international adoption as it needs more space, more training and a bit different logistics than the traditional helicopters such as the Blackhawk.