On June 24, the US Army accepted the first “virtual prototype” of the future MV-75 Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), the intended replacement for the BLACK HAWK family of helicopters.

Bell Textron, the original equipment manufacturer contracted to design and build the FLRAA weapon system, delivered the first prototype to the Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, Alabama, with a second due for delivery later in the month to the Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker.

The “virtual prototype” is an advanced simulator based on a digital twin of the FLRAA weapon system. Its use as a learning device will enable the Army to offer early feedback, driving early design improvements, software development, verification, integration and test.

The Army will also be able to identify early tactics, techniques and procedures through experimentation in conjunction with special user evaluations where Soldiers assess different parts of the weapon system. It is intended that the prototypes will then become flight training devices to further enhance training opportunities and have long term utility.

Brig. Gen. David Phillips, Program Executive Officer for Army Aviation, welcomed the delivery as a key step in the efforts to accelerate the FLRAA program and get to early fielding with the 101st Air Assault Division.

In 2022, Bell was awarded the contract to mature and build the MV-75 based on its V-280 VALOR tiltrotor demonstrator, beating the rival offering by Sikorsky-Boeing, based on their SB-1 DEFIANT demonstrator.

Since then, the FLRAA program completed a preliminary design and achieved Milestone B approval in June 2024, transitioning into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase. At Milestone B approval time, the plan called for the first complete prototype to fly in 2026, with a total of 6 prototypes due. Low rate initial production is due to start in 2028 with fielding in 2030, although the Army hopes to bring that date forward by up to 2 years.

The FLRAA is intended to deliver a long range air assault and multi-mission rotorcraft solution offering speeds twice as great as current fleets, over distances twice as long.

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