Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) military helicopter to replace OH-58D, half AH-64s

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army is trying again to acquire a new scout helicopter. The new military helicopter is supposed to restore the dedicated aerial scout mission the Army gave up when in 2017 it retired its roughly 300 Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The National Interest reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

29 March 2019 -- And here's a surprise. The new Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) also will replace half of the ground-combat branch's 700 Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.

Alongside new artillery and armored vehicles, FARA is one of the Army's highest-priority development programs. A consortium of Boeing and Lockheed is developing the S-97 "pusher" rotorcraft that could meet the FARA requirements. Bell is working on the V-280 tiltrotor that might also meet the Army's needs.

To replace the OH-58D and the AH-64, the new copter will need to carry sophisticated sensors and a heavy load of long-range weapons. It will need to be able to fly for hours at a time at speeds fast enough to evade enemy defenses, all in hot-and-high conditions that can sap a rotorcraft's lifting power.

Related: Bell receives order for four more Bell 412EP helicopters from the Argentine air force

Related: Navy asks Bell to build 25 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and avionics for Marine Corps

Related: Boeing to build 17 new and rebuilt AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters and avionics for UAE

John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics

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