Textron’s Bell V-280 Valor Chosen as New U.S. Army Long-Range Assault Aircraft

Rhea-AI Summary

Textron (NYSE: TXT) announced that Bell Textron has secured a contract from the U.S. Army for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The contract emphasizes the V-280 Valor tiltrotor’s proven capabilities following extensive testing over the past decade. Scott C. Donnelly, CEO of Textron, expressed commitment to delivering a transformative weapon system for Army needs. This initial contract focuses on refining design, sustainment, and flight-testing to fulfill Army operational requirements, reinforcing Bell's legacy in vertical lift solutions.

Positive

• Secured a contract for the FLRAA program, indicating confidence from the U.S. Army.
• The V-280 Valor has undergone over three years of rigorous flight testing, validating its capabilities.
• The program builds on Bell's over 85 years of experience in delivering vertical lift products.

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• None.

The V-280’s unmatched combination of proven tiltrotor technology coupled with innovative digital engineering and an open architecture offers the Army outstanding operational versatility for its vertical lift fleet

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Textron Inc (NYSE: TXT) announced today that Bell Textron Inc., a Textron company, has been awarded the development contract for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The award is based on Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor that was developed and tested as part of the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) program that began in 2013. The V-280 progressed through design, manufacturing, and more than three years of rigorous flight testing that provided extensive data validating the technical and operational advantages of the aircraft for the long-range assault mission.

"We are honored that the U.S. Army has selected the Bell V-280 Valor as its next-generation assault aircraft," said Scott C. Donnelly, Textron’s chairman and chief executive officer. "We intend to honor that trust by building a truly remarkable and transformational weapon system to meet the Army’s mission requirements. We are excited to play an important role in the future of Army Aviation."

“This is an exciting time for the U.S. Army, Bell, and Team Valor as we modernize the Army’s aviation capabilities for decades to come,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO of Bell. “Bell has a long history supporting Army Aviation and we are ready to equip Soldiers with the speed and range they need to compete and win using the most mature, reliable, and affordable high-performance long-range assault weapon system in the world.”

This award builds on a decade of the V-280 Valor’s progress through design, manufacturing, and thorough testing to demonstrate that this aircraft will deliver on the FLRAA program requirements. Bell and its industry partners have systematically validated the V-280 aircraft and their modular open systems approach in collaboration with the Army.

“For the past several years the Bell team demonstrated the exceptional operational capabilities, digital thread synergies, and platform affordability enhancements the V-280 provides,” said Keith Flail, executive vice president, Advanced Vertical Lift Systems at Bell. “Bell stands ready with our world-class manufacturing facilities to apply our nearly seven decades of tiltrotor expertise to deliver a modern FLRAA fleet to the Army.”

The initial contract refines the weapon system design, sustainment, digital enterprise, manufacturing, systems integration, flight-testing, and airworthiness qualification.

This award builds on Bell’s history of more than 85 years delivering over 30,000 trusted vertical lift products to military and commercial customers in the U.S. and around the world. To learn more about the V-280 Valor, Team Valor, and the FLRAA program, please visit https://www.bellflight.com/products/bell-v-280 and textron.com and follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government

These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the efficacy of research and development investments to develop new products or unanticipated expenses or delays in connection with the launching of significant new products or programs; changing priorities or reductions in the U.S. Government defense budget; changes in worldwide economic or political conditions that impact demand for our products; our ability to perform as anticipated and to control costs under contracts with the U.S. Government; the U.S. Government’s ability to unilaterally modify or terminate its contracts with us for the U.S. Government’s convenience or for our failure to perform, to change applicable procurement and accounting policies, or, under certain circumstances, to withhold payment or suspend or debar us as a contractor eligible to receive future contract awards; and performance issues with key suppliers, subcontractors or business partners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221205005838/en/

Media Contacts:

Michael Maynard | Textron

401-457-2362 (o)

401-486-5838 (c)

Mmaynard@textron.com



Michael Reilly | Bell

703-271-4928 (o)

817-308-7143 (c)

mreilly@bellflight.com



Investor Contacts:

Eric Salander 401-457-2288

Cameron Vollmuth 401-457-2288

Source: Textron

FAQ

What contract was awarded to Textron on December 5, 2022?

On December 5, 2022, Textron announced that Bell Textron received a contract from the U.S. Army for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program.

What is the significance of the V-280 Valor in the FLRAA program?

The V-280 Valor tiltrotor is recognized for its proven capabilities and was selected based on extensive flight testing.

How long has Bell Textron been developing the V-280 Valor?

Bell Textron has developed the V-280 Valor through a decade of design, manufacturing, and rigorous flight testing since the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator program began in 2013.

What are the initial focuses of the FLRAA contract awarded to Textron?

The initial FLRAA contract focuses on refining weapon system design, sustainment, digital enterprise, manufacturing, systems integration, and airworthiness qualification.