Defiant protest grounds US Army FLRAA contract
Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor won the US Army’s FLRAA competition in early December. (Photo: Bell Textron)
Boeing and Sikorsky think the US Army's decision on the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft was not made in the right way and have filed a protest with the US Government Accountability Office, pausing the programme for more than three months.
The Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant X team closed 2022 with a highly anticipated move, challenging the US Army’s decision on the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract.
Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor won the FLRAA competition in early December, and the company was set to receive a contract worth up to $1.3 billion with the initial package estimated at $232 million over the next 19 months.
Team Defiant X, however, did not think the decision was made in the right way and filed a protest with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
In an official statement published on 28 December, the team
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Daily news round-up email service
- Access to all Decisive Edge email newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Air Warfare
-
![Dassault considers boosting Indian presence to support future Rafale production]()
Dassault considers boosting Indian presence to support future Rafale production
Discussion of any new production line in India would reportedly be for the F5 jet, although India is also closing in on cementing a deal for 26 Rafale-M aircraft for its Navy.
-
![US Navy Next-Generation Jammer approaches full-rate production]()
US Navy Next-Generation Jammer approaches full-rate production
Raytheon is currently finalising the production of NGJ-MB lot 5 while working with the US Navy on contract requirements over multiple years.
-
![Lockheed Martin “bullish” on future of its F-16 programme]()
Lockheed Martin “bullish” on future of its F-16 programme
The company foresees demand for around 300 Block 70/72 F-16s from customers across the globe and is targeting around a 23 to 26 aircraft delivery total for 2025.
-
![Boeing secures $569 million contract to support Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail]()
Boeing secures $569 million contract to support Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail
The fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail aircraft is based at RAAF Base Williamtown and will reportedly support up to 170 jobs in the region.
-
![Anduril to supply loitering munitions to Ukraine with UK funding]()
Anduril to supply loitering munitions to Ukraine with UK funding
Since July 2024, the UK Government has provided more than £5.26 billion in support to Ukraine, including £3 billion in annual military aid and a £2.26 billion loan for defence spending. The latest deal will see Anduril supply Altius-600M and Altius-700M loitering munitions.
