The U.S. Army Will Not Get Its New Helicopters Until 2030

The Lockheed-Boeing SB-1 Defiant is one of two revolutionary rotorcraft competing in a precursor program to Future Vertical Lift. The other is Bell/Textron's V-280 Valor tiltrotor. Either one would be a leap forward for Army Aviation if fielded.

Loren Thompson, Forbes: Slow Ride: U.S. Army Won't Begin Replacing Cold War Helicopters Until After 2030

There's been a lot of talk in the Army lately about the need to speed up the way it buys weapons. Here's a concrete example of how lethargic the current system is.

In 2009, Army leaders embraced the idea of a "Future Vertical Lift" program to replace aging combat helicopters. Threats were changing, new technologies were emerging, and the existing fleet of helicopters had been worn down by continuous operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. One part of the fleet, the scout helicopters, was so far gone that the Army decided to retire the choppers even though it didn't have a replacement.

Future Vertical Lift, or FVL, is still the centerpiece of plans to revitalize Army Aviation. But as senior leaders confirmed at a conference this week, production of next-generation combat helicopters won't begin until 2030. And since it will take many years to produce all the new helicopters needed, it's a safe bet that many soldiers will still be entrusting their lives to Cold War-era rotorcraft when 2040 roles around. Maybe 2050, given the delays such programs typically encounter.

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WNU Editor: Words escape me.