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Army ditches helicopters for new radical air assault planes
Fox News ^ | 5/11/25 | Rebecca Grant

Posted on 05/11/2025 3:59:20 PM PDT by Libloather

It’s a plane. It’s a helicopter. It’s both. Meet "FLRAA," the Army’s new tiltrotor for Future Long-Range Air Assault. This is how the Army will island hop in the Pacific to fend off China. And by the way, Chinese President Xi Jinping has nothing like it.

With a stunning announcement, the Army did more than ax 40 generals and open the door to AI. The Army bet its future on this radical aircraft, whose engines swivel to take off and land like a helicopter, or fly high and fast like an airplane.

This aircraft was on pace to enter the Army inventory in the early 2030s.

Then came the Army shake-up. On May 1, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the Army to focus more on the Indo-Pacific. In that region, sheer distance and Chinese missile threat rings are locking out current helicopters. For the mission of air assault – when troops move into hostile and contested areas by rotary-wing aircraft – the hard truth is that the Army has a looming capability gap.

"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 Xi’s growing appetite for military confrontation.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Military/Veterans; Travel
KEYWORDS: army; assault; aviation; chachingchaching; flraa; helicopters; military; planes
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1 posted on 05/11/2025 3:59:20 PM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather

So it’s another Osprey


2 posted on 05/11/2025 4:03:02 PM PDT by montag813
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To: montag813
Money would be better spent on a contract for more A-10s. Proven technology.

3 posted on 05/11/2025 4:05:03 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: montag813

My thoughts exactly.


4 posted on 05/11/2025 4:06:43 PM PDT by piytar (Remember Ashli Babbitt, Rosanne Boyland, and Corey Comperatore!)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Yup


5 posted on 05/11/2025 4:06:59 PM PDT by piytar (Remember Ashli Babbitt, Rosanne Boyland, and Corey Comperatore!)
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To: Libloather

GI Joe had X Wing.

A decent commercial.

https://youtu.be/hoWH-zF60EU?si=wmrIOTM2jeyZLzOS


6 posted on 05/11/2025 4:07:32 PM PDT by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure..)
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To: Libloather

So we are on the hook for another Osprey. Got it.

What requirements will this platform do that the Osprey can’t? Not crash and burn?


7 posted on 05/11/2025 4:07:57 PM PDT by Salvavida (NS)
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To: Libloather
"...take off and land like a helicopter..."

Not hardly.

Cannot come in hot for quick pick-up or fast-rope.
They have to transition from fwd flight over the LZ - nothing says "hit me" like a loiter over a hot LZ.

That's why the Army intends to fly Black Hawks for another 30+ years.

8 posted on 05/11/2025 4:08:46 PM PDT by Psalm 73 ("You'll never hear surf music again" - J. Hendrix)
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To: Libloather

I can’t wait for the first report that some young Warrant Officer took one out and barrel-rolled it.

You know someone is going to try.


9 posted on 05/11/2025 4:09:31 PM PDT by Dustoff45 (How to rank a political candidate, learn their position on Jesus, the unborn child and Israel)
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To: montag813
So it’s another Osprey

It's much better than an Osprey because the rotors tilt, but the engines remain horizontal.

With the Osprey the engines rotate to the vertical when the rotors are tilted, which points the exhaust at the ground (melting tarmac,) and greatly complicating the cross connect power shaft connections that are necessary for rotor synchronization and engine-out emergencies.

The Valor's horizontal engine placement simplifies the cross connect shaft, and keeps engine exhaust from overheating runways or ship decks.

10 posted on 05/11/2025 4:10:17 PM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /Sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Can’t see a role for the A-10 in the Indo-Pacific region.


11 posted on 05/11/2025 4:10:36 PM PDT by gundog (The ends justify the mean tweets. )
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To: Libloather

Meet “FLRAA,”

That’s not a name. Should be focusing on drones anyways.


12 posted on 05/11/2025 4:13:53 PM PDT by McGruff
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To: Libloather
Release the dragons.
13 posted on 05/11/2025 4:14:19 PM PDT by BipolarBob (AA told me to quit hanging around drunks. So I quit going to AA, cuz that's where they were.)
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To: Yo-Yo

Why rotors instead of jet engines? Can that not be done? I’m just a fungus.....


14 posted on 05/11/2025 4:15:55 PM PDT by Fungi
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Correct!


15 posted on 05/11/2025 4:17:36 PM PDT by \/\/ayne (I regret that I have but one subscription cancellation notice to give to my local newspaper)
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To: Libloather
This might be a stupid question.

If the Army and Navy have their own aircraft, why do we need a separate Air Force? Why not put all our aircraft under Army and Navy control, as in WW2?

16 posted on 05/11/2025 4:18:53 PM PDT by Angelino97
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To: montag813

Looks like but with jets on wing tips haven seen that before?.


17 posted on 05/11/2025 4:20:51 PM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Angelino97

> Why not put all our aircraft under Army and Navy control, as in WW2? <

There is a place for an Air Force in strategic bombing. But I’m guessing that if the Army ran the Air Force today, army generals would push for ground support planes over strategic bombers.

Just a guess.


18 posted on 05/11/2025 4:24:48 PM PDT by Leaning Right (It’s morning in America. Again.)
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To: montag813

Doesn’t share a shaft down the middle. Think of it as a high speed Chinook.

I like it.


19 posted on 05/11/2025 4:25:16 PM PDT by Blueflag (To not carry is to choose to be defenseless.)
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To: Libloather

Looks like another Osprey. Someone at the Pentagon must be in love with that design.


20 posted on 05/11/2025 4:25:50 PM PDT by ComputerGuy
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