Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)
U.S. Army program to field the Bell MV-75 (V-280 Valor) as its next-generation assault helicopter. Eaton has been a decade-long Bell team member on the underlying V-280 effort, supplying hydraulic power generation and conveyance, oil swivels, hydraulic panels, and accumulators, and was separately selected to design and certify the aircraft's aerial refueling retractable probe.
FLRAA is the Army's program to replace roughly 2,000 UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters with a tiltrotor aircraft (Bell's V-280 Valor, designated MV-75) offering roughly double the speed and range of current rotorcraft, a capability gap the Future Vertical Lift initiative identified from lessons on speed/range limitations in long-distance theaters like the Indo-Pacific. The Army awarded Bell the Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract in December 2022 — the largest Army helicopter award in roughly 40 years — after eliminating Sikorsky's rival Defiant X; Critical Design Review is targeted for 2026 with first prototype flight expected FY27 and a production decision targeted FY28, ahead of the traditional schedule.
Program detail
- Agency
- U.S. Army
- Acronym
- FLRAA
- Budget
- $1.3 billion ceiling (initial Dec 2022 EMD/prototype contract, from a $232M initial obligation); a later, separate EMD + low-rate initial production contract is expected to carry a ~$7.1B ceiling post-Milestone B, with a speculative ~$70B potential lifetime/fleet-wide value including FMS exports if the Army buys its full planned fleet
- Phase
- Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD); Critical Design Review targeted 2026
- Domain
- Next-generation long-range assault helicopter
Contracts0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What is Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)?
- FLRAA is the Army's program to replace roughly 2,000 UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters with a tiltrotor aircraft (Bell's V-280 Valor, designated MV-75) offering roughly double the speed and range of current rotorcraft, a capability gap the Future Vertical Lift initiative identified from lessons on speed/range limitations in long-distance theaters like the Indo-Pacific. The Army awarded Bell the Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract in December 2022 — the largest Army helicopter award in roughly 40 years — after eliminating Sikorsky's rival Defiant X; Critical Design Review is targeted for 2026 with first prototype flight expected FY27 and a production decision targeted FY28, ahead of the traditional schedule.
- Which agency runs Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)?
- Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) is run by U.S. Army and is also known as FLRAA.
- What is the budget for Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)?
- Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) has a budget of $1.3 billion ceiling (initial Dec 2022 EMD/prototype contract, from a $232M initial obligation); a later, separate EMD + low-rate initial production contract is expected to carry a ~$7.1B ceiling post-Milestone B, with a speculative ~$70B potential lifetime/fleet-wide value including FMS exports if the Army buys its full planned fleet, currently in its Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD); Critical Design Review targeted 2026 phase.
Sources & citations4
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Bell selects Eaton hydraulic technology to power the U.S. Army's Future Long Range Assault Aircraft
Eaton: Bell Selects Eaton Hydraulic Technology to Power the U.S. Army's Future Long Range Assault AircraftVerified2024-03-14 - 2
Bell selects Eaton to provide the aerial refueling probe for the MV-75 FLRAA
Defense and Munitions: Bell Selects Eaton to Provide Aerial Refueling Probe for the MV-75 FLRAAReported2026-08-02 - 3
FLRAA is in EMD with Critical Design Review targeted for 2026, first prototype flight expected FY27, and a production decision targeted FY28 — ahead of the traditional acquisition schedule.
The Aviationist: U.S. Army Prepares Ground for Possible MV-75 Early Production DecisionVerified2025-10-15 - 4
The Army's December 2022 FLRAA EMD contract to Bell carries a $232M initial obligation scaling to a $1.3B ceiling, with a later EMD/LRIP phase estimated around $7 billion and a potential lifetime/FMS-inclusive program value near $70 billion.
Defense News: US Army makes largest helicopter award in 40 yearsVerified2022-12-05