On October 14, the AUSA 2019 symposium exhibition began in Washington, where the public could see the most advanced examples of military equipment: from robots and missiles to howitzers and combat helicopters. By the way, about the latter. It was within the framework of the Association of the United States Army that we were given to understand what kind of reconnaissance and attack helicopters for the US Ground Forces would be. However, first things first.
The fact that the Americans want new rotorcraft is far from news. Earlier in the US, the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program was launched, the goal of which is to find a replacement for the UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook and OH-58 Kiowa. That is, completely different rotorcraft.
Most of all they talk about a replacement for Kiowa: this is not surprising, because the last of these helicopters were decommissioned by the US Ground Forces long ago, and their functions were partially taken over by the AH-64 Apache.
The FARA (Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft) program is designed to find a replacement for the OH-58. Earlier it became known that AVX Aircraft, Bell, Boeing, Karem Aircraft and Sikorsky made their proposals. The latter made the furthest progress in the implementation of its plans: its Sikorsky S-97 Raider took off for the first time in 2015. However, as the AUSA exhibition showed, it was too early to draw conclusions then.
Raider-X
As part of the Association of the United States Army 2019, Sikorsky showed the further development of the S-97: the machine was named Raider-X. The whole concept is based on developments on the Sikorsky X2, the project of which has already been closed. Both the X2, the S-97 Raider, and the Raider-X share one common layout: a coaxial main rotor and a push-type rotor. This allows you to develop an enormous cruising (and maximum) speed for a helicopter. It is known that the Raider-X will be able to reach speeds of 380 kilometers per hour. This is more than enough for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program.
The helicopter will receive a General Electric T901 engine. At the same time, the Raider-X will be about 30% larger than the S-97. The crew members, as in the earlier version, will be side by side. The vehicle will be multipurpose: it will be able to carry troops, weapons, and cargo. It is not yet necessary to judge the exact characteristics.
Bell 360 Invictus
The most striking presentation of AUSA 2019 is a helicopter from Bell Helicopter, with images of which the American aircraft manufacturer previously "teased" the media. They showed, of course, not a flight prototype, but just a full-size model. But this was enough to make people start talking about the car with renewed vigor.
The design at Bell Helicopter was based on the civilian Bell 525 Relentless. But Invictus is a full-fledged combat vehicle. On external holders, it will be able to carry up to eight guided air-to-surface missiles, and four more missiles can be placed in the internal compartments. The helicopter will receive a 20-mm cannon and will be able to confidently hit almost all existing ground targets, including main battle tanks. By the way, in terms of the number of guided missiles, the reconnaissance Bell 360 Invictus came close to attack helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache. Perhaps the United States will unite two different classes? Time will show. "Apaches" are also not eternal: sooner or later they will have to be changed for something.
Among the advantages of Bell 360 Invictus is its high speed. Cruising is 330 kilometers per hour. The crew members are located one after the other. Outwardly, the helicopter is similar to the Comanche, but the creators themselves are in no hurry to talk about stealth. You can understand them: stealth costs a lot of money. Not everyone agrees to pay for it when it comes to a helicopter.
Project from AVX Aircraft and L3 Technologies
Few were waiting for this presentation. Earlier, of course, the duo of the two companies had already shown images of their promising helicopter for FARA, but it was the layout presented at AUSA that made it clear what the new machine would be. In general, the concept remained unchanged. Before us is a reconnaissance and combat helicopter with a coaxial rotor and two propellers located on the sides. The car received large wings that create aerodynamic lift. Crew members sit side by side.
Judging by the pictures presented, the helicopter will be able to carry guided air-to-surface missiles and will have a cannon. We can say with almost complete certainty: no matter what helicopter wins the competition, it will be able to carry the AGM-179 JAGM missile, which is already adopted for service, a replacement for the AGM-114 Hellfire. At the first stage, the range of the AGM-179 is eight kilometers, in the future it will be increased, and then the JAGM will be able to hit a target located at a distance of sixteen kilometers. This is significantly more than the indicators of almost all aviation ATGMs.
Karem AR40
The most mysterious participant in the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program is the American company Karem Aircraft. However, it seems as such for Russia and Europe. In the United States itself, they know very well about Abraham Karem and his brainchild. This man is considered an outstanding American and Israeli engineer who created a number of UAVs. He made an invaluable contribution to the design of the famous MQ-1 Predator.
Karem Aircraft itself is known directly, in particular, for the projects of "monstrous" convertiplanes: in particular, the heavy transport TR75. Able in theory to perform intercontinental flights.
However, this is clearly not what FARA needs. Therefore, as part of the Association of the United States Army, Karem Aircraft showed the concept of a much more "modest" aircraft. The AR40 project involves the creation of a rotorcraft with a single rotor and a pushing propeller at the rear of the fuselage. The device will receive a wing that creates part of the lift during horizontal flight. According to the data presented, the speed of the AR40 will be 20 percent higher than that indicated by the military in the requirements for promising vehicles. Simply put, it will be greater or comparable to the speed of the Raider-X and almost certainly better than the Bell 360 Invictus.
On the other hand, a not very convincing image is all that Karem can boast of within FARA. At the same time, the ancestor of Raider-X, the S-97, is already flying with might and main. The Bell 360 Invictus and the AVX / L3 machine exist as mockups, and Boeing clearly intends to give a second life to the AH-64 Apache.
We will remind that earlier this corporation announced that it plans to remake the famous Apache helicopter, providing it with a push-type propeller. This will increase the speed of the helicopter by 50 percent and the economy by 24 percent. But so far, even without taking these plans into account, the fate of the world's most popular attack helicopter looks cloudless. Whether Boeing will take the additional risk is hard to say.
Overall, AUSA 2019 made it clear that the leading American aircraft manufacturers have clashed in earnest. And this is just the beginning. It will be even more interesting to look at the intensity of passion that will unfold around the right to build a helicopter that will replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. Still, the light scout is a niche class. And the medium multipurpose helicopter promises tremendous opportunities, including in the international market.
