the successor to the black hawk has emerged: the u.s. army aviation wants to fly faster and farther
2024-08-29
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the v-280 tilt-rotor aircraft in flight test. image courtesy of the u.s. army
comprehensive compilation by wegeli
after more than a decade of research and development and bidding, the successor of the us black hawk helicopter has gradually become clear. according to official news from the us army, as a milestone in its "long-range assault aircraft" (flraa) program, bell textron has been authorized to manufacture six prototypes based on the v-280 tilt-rotor aircraft, and plans to start mass production around 2030. relying on the second-generation tilt-rotor aircraft technology, the "long-range assault aircraft" can deliver soldiers to farther battlefields at a faster speed; especially in the vast sea area and densely populated islands of the western pacific region, the us military is very optimistic about the potential of this new vehicle.
the website of the american magazine popular mechanics quoted an official statement saying that the decision to start prototype production was made by the u.s. army after fully reviewing the "technical feasibility, threat prediction, safety, and engineering, manufacturing, maintenance and cost risks" of the long-range assault aircraft. all these key parameters are within the acceptable range of the military. according to the plan, the first prototype is expected to take off in 2026 and small-scale production will begin in 2028. however, the actual combat deployment node of 2030 is still not set in stone. the u.s. army said it will continue to review and improve the schedule based on actual conditions.
it took only six years from official announcement to deployment, which shows the great ambition and high expectations of the us military for this project. the us "defense news" website pointed out that from 2017 to 2021, the main contractor bell textron conducted multiple rounds of tests on the v-280 tilt-rotor aircraft, which served as a technology verification platform, and verified multiple operating modes including unmanned driving. thanks to two large-size propellers, the v-280 can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, and can cruise at high speed like a conventional aircraft. if the project goes well, it will become the world's second mass-produced model of the same type after the v-22 tilt-rotor aircraft.
since 1988, the v-22, nicknamed "osprey", has been in service with the u.s. air force and navy. in contrast, the u.s. army has historically been unable to fly tilt-rotor aircraft. for the past 43 years, various models of uh-60 "black hawk" helicopters have been the main means of air mobility for u.s. soldiers. the main reason behind this is that the u.s. army believes that the "osprey" is too large and is not suitable for operation in complex environments such as cities, deserts, and jungles.
popular mechanics said that the v-280 looks like a hybrid of a black hawk and a propeller transport aircraft. in addition to being faster and easier to take off and land, its lower fuel consumption also gives it a longer range, combining the advantages of both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. however, this type of aircraft has only developed one generation so far, which is inseparable from its complex and expensive characteristics. in fact, due to the high operating costs, only the united states and japan can afford the v-22 fleet in the world.
the v-280 draws on the lessons learned from its predecessors in its basic design. one of the most obvious improvements is that the aircraft only needs to adjust the angle of the rotor when switching flight modes, without having to rotate the entire engine compartment like the v-22, which simplifies operation and improves reliability. in order to enhance environmental adaptability, the v-280 has a relatively compact fuselage and can carry 4 crew members and 14 passengers, which is less than the v-22. even so, compared with the black hawk helicopter, the speed and range of the v-280 have increased by at least 50%, with a maximum speed of 515 kilometers per hour and a range of 368 to 552 kilometers.
defense news reported that the mass-produced "long-range assault aircraft" can carry light weapons and is mainly used to deploy or withdraw troops on the front battlefield. its role reflects a major problem that the shift in national defense strategy has posed to the u.s. army: the army relies on land to project power, but there is a lack of safe bases in the pacific. except for the hawaiian islands and the marshall islands, there is not much land for ground troops to deploy.
in this context, the u.s. army realized that if it could be equipped with an aerial vehicle with a long enough range, it could divide the long journey from the mainland to the asia-pacific into several controllable "jump" distances, effectively improving the mobility of soldiers and equipment. after entering the 1930s, troops equipped with "long-range assault aircraft" can first rush from fort lewis base in washington state to irexon air force base in the aleutian islands, then fly to camp zama in kanagawa prefecture, japan, and finally go to combat positions around the first island chain from japan. it only takes a maximum of three "jumps" to complete these deployments. in the past, considering factors such as weather and logistics, this tactic was difficult to achieve for the u.s. army's active "black hawk" helicopters and even other vehicles. on the contrary, if there is a second-generation tilt-rotor aircraft, it is at least technically feasible and will help expand the autonomy of front-line troops in the context of "great power competition."
popular mechanics concluded that the u.s. army hopes to gain a foothold in future overseas operations, so it must face the challenge of "distance". decades ago, the u.s. army aviation corps switched from mainly fixed-wing aircraft to mainly helicopters, giving up the pursuit of range in the process. in the future, if the "long-range assault aircraft" meets expectations, it is expected to usher in a new era for the army aviation corps; by then, the marine corps can "take off" at any time and immediately engage in long-distance raids.
source: china youth daily client
