Choose Wisely: Three Considerations for Army on FLRAA

With Army pushing its decision on the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract to September, service leaders have a window of time to look closely at its impact on the rotary industrial base. Amid uncertainty over other Army aviation programs, their analysis on FLRAA should be thorough: the right balance in the industrial base delivers the best products for the long-term, and Army leaders have a duty to ensure that balance.

To avoid this, the Army should conduct a thorough review that considers three key factors, as identified by Dr. Jerry McGinn, executive director at George Mason University’s Center for Government Contracting. They should look through a trifocal lens at:

If they do, there’s real opportunity to craft a prudent, effective acquisition policy for the future of army aviation.

With three major providers, Bell, Sikorsky, and Boeing, the rotary wing industrial base is robust – at least for the moment. But if only one company is selected for FLRAA – a contract expected to last for the next 50 years – the industrial base becomes less stable practically overnight.

By contrast, Sikorsky confronts Air Force plans to reduce its buy of the Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter by one third at the same time as the Marine Corps is planning a 34% reduction of Sikorsky’s CH-53K King Stallion platform. Consider now that Sikorsky’s Black Hawks will phase out over time as FLRAA ultimately replaces them. If the Future Vertical Lift contract were to be awarded to an industry competitor that isn’t Sikorsky, the impact could be significant - one leg of the rotary industrial base tripod would be significantly impacted.

This delicate balance is not about charity, it’s about keeping engineers working and production going to maintain capacity. The reality is the Sikorsky-Boeing FLRAA offering — the Defiant X — is an extremely capable platform. Its maneuverability is especially noteworthy, and its mass confined area landings mission profile will let Army quickly concentrate combat power without having to resort to a larger frame that’s incompatible with existing hangers and ramps the world over.

As a former combat helicopter pilot, this is an extremely desirable capability. 

To assess the capabilities of companies in the rotary industrial base, the Army needs to examine technology competency, the availability of materials, and the manufacturing capacity to design, create, and build systems to meet the specifications.

Perhaps most essential is the capability to attract and retain top talent. This is another key consideration for Army on FLRAA: if the base is thrown out of balance, will contractors be able to select the best talent downstream?

Like all defense acquisitions, the Army needs to play the long game on a FLRAA. Awarding franchise programs without opportunities for competition down the road is inherently destabilizing. Supply chain challenges and the looming threat of recession amid the most challenging international security environment in generations further complicates the picture for defense companies.

One tool Army might consider to mitigate these risks is awarding two contractors for FLRAA. There is precedent for this, in both present-day submarine acquisitions and the fighter and bomber aircraft acquisitions of WWII. (In the latter case, scores of contractors worked to deliver airframes in unbelievably short time spans; at one point in 1944, multiple manufacturers were collaborating to produce 16 B-24s per day.)

Similarly, the Army might consider which development projects could be awarded to non-awardees to keep them in the game.

I flew multiple combat tours as a OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have lived the down-range impact of acquisitions decisions, both the successes and failures. The bottom line: Army needs to make absolutely certain it looks closely at the impact of the FLRAA decision on the rotary industrial base. Army aviators like me and the people I served alongside will have to live with the consequences.  

Amber Smith is a former OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot-in-command and air mission commander in the 101st Airborne Division. Previously she served as the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Outreach) and is a combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. She is the author of Danger Close.