Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Details of the Defiant X helicopter, designed by Sikorsky and Boeing as a replacement of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, were revealed by the companies on Monday.
The design comes ahead of the Army issuing a request for proposals in its Future Long Range Assault Aircraft competition. A contract is expected to be awarded sometime in 2022, with the new aircraft fielded by 2030.
Sikorsky is a division of Lockheed Martin.
A demonstration helicopter, called the SB-1 Defiant, first flew in March 2019, and was designed to achieve cost-effective increases in speed and range, while improving maneuverability.
Faster than conventional helicopters while retaining low-speed and hovering capabilities, it employs what the manufacturer calls "X2 Technology" -- which has a heavy emphasis on vibration reduction.
The twin-rotor helicopter has achieved speeds of 242 mph.
The Defiant X can fly twice as fast, and twice as far, as the Black Hawk, a company statement on Monday said, and "with unsurpassed experience in mission systems, training and sustainment, it will revolutionize the way the Army meets threats in 2035 and beyond."
The aircraft also capitalizes on Lockheed Martin's expertise in multi-domain solutions, autonomy, sensors, weapons, training and logistic, according to the company.
This, Lockheed says on its website, will make the difference in achieving aviation overmatch, at a lower life-cycle cost than that of the UH-60, while also offering adaptability, battlefield awareness and lethality.
The FLRAA competition is meant to provide a new aircraft "with medium lift, tactical assault and medical evacuation capability in ever-changing environments.
It is expected to "provide power projection from relative sanctuary with significantly increased range, speed, mobility, and payload capabilities over current Army and U.S. Special Operations Command aircraft," the Army said in September.
