Army ditches helicopters for new radical air assault planes
Tiltrotor planes are replacing Black Hawk helicopters and the Army wants them now
By Rebecca Grant Fox News / Published May 11, 2025 8:00am EDT"We can't actually do the large-scale, long-range air assault today" with the speed and distance required in modern warfare, Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, said last year.
That’s unacceptable, given [China's] Xi’s growing appetite for military confrontation.
So now the Army wants its revolutionary plane ASAP. On Wednesday, May 7, Army Chief of Staff General Randy George told Congress he wants to move it up several years, "into the 2028 timeframe." Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll said he met with prime contractor Bell Textron to talk about a rush order.
It’s easy to see why. The acronym-happy Army says "FLRAA" will fly 1,700 nautical miles without refueling and carry 12 passengers at a speed near 300 mph. Compare that to the 183 mph for the Black Hawk helicopter it is replacing. For pilots, the extra range, speed and survivability of a tiltrotor is a huge improvement on a helicopter. With a tiltrotor, they can zoom all over the battlespace with impunity and land any time, any place, in any conditions.
Army ditches helicopters for new radical air assault planes
A strong military needs the best equipment. That's why the Army is speeding up delivery of the new tiltrotor for Future Long-Range Air Assault. Its far more advanced than its predecessor.
www.foxnews.com
An irreducible fundamental of national defense:
Yes.
BUT !
Cicero gave insight:
Simplistic $analysis: the familiar "guns vs butter" debate, how best to slice the finite resource pie?
Current U.S. military spending is around $3% U.S. GDP: https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Photos/igphoto/2002099941/
Is ditching the Black Hawk the most cost-effective expenditure for this percentage of the U.S. military budget?
Would it be so if it properly does what is claimed for it? Perhaps.
Does it?
The above quoted FOX News opinion continues:
"The big advance for "FLRAA" is in the tilt mechanism. On the older V-22, the whole engine nacelle housing pivoted. For the Army’s aircraft, that headache is gone. The two engine nacelles stay put on the wing. Only the propellors rotate, to switch between helicopter and airplane mode. This is much safer, and the improved rotor design also increases agility and maneuverability in low-speed flight while in helicopter mode."
Army ditches helicopters for new radical air assault planes
A strong military needs the best equipment. That's why the Army is speeding up delivery of the new tiltrotor for Future Long-Range Air Assault. Its far more advanced than its predecessor.
www.foxnews.com
"This is much safer, and the improved rotor design ..." FOX
Unlikely.
Tilting the entire V-22 nacelle simplifies the mechanical transmission from engine to propeller.
It's difficult to improve on the simplicity of the solid steel driveshaft.
The United States military suffered non-combat fatalities to our V-22. So much so the V-22 was grounded for investigation.
Certainly we should be concerned about the welfare of our fellow citizens in arms. But there is also the matter of U.S. national defense. Not unwise to recall:
For want of the nail the shoe was lost.
For want of the shoe the horse was lost.
For want of the horse the message was lost.
For want of the message the battle was lost.
For want of the battle the war was lost.
For want of the war, the kingdom was lost.
- A HORSE ! MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! -
