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According to the report, the US Army has approved three companies to continue their bid on the Flight School Next program, which seeks a new platform and related processes for basic helicopter training.it said that contenders for the effort’s third phase include Lockheed Martin, Bell Textron, and MI Support Services, with each team tasked to submit a comprehensive proposal.
The report stated that selection comes after a speedy evaluation under the program’s second phase last month, in which the same challengers were approved for their cost estimates and broader planning data. The report also stated that Flight School Next, also called the Initial Entry Rotary Wing, will be located at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and is expected to provide preparatory aviation courses for 900 to 1,500 pilots annually.
The report also stated that the chosen helicopter for the initiative will gradually replace the Airbus UH-72A Lakota fleet operational since the 2000s, and its training structure, upon entry. It also said that Lockheed’s planned Flight School Next capability is the Robinson Helicopter Company’s R66 NxG platform.
They said that together, they will provide technical support, spare parts, and a dedicated training services package tailored for the army’s competency efforts.
The report added that the M1 provides organizational, intermediate, and depot-level maintenance for more than 500 helicopters across five primary airfields, supporting up to 400 sorties daily and 240,000 flight hours annually.
In addition to the Robinson Helicopter Company, M1’s consortium includes General Dynamics Information Technology, Quantum Helicopters, and the University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation.
Source: The Defense Post
The report stated that selection comes after a speedy evaluation under the program’s second phase last month, in which the same challengers were approved for their cost estimates and broader planning data. The report also stated that Flight School Next, also called the Initial Entry Rotary Wing, will be located at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and is expected to provide preparatory aviation courses for 900 to 1,500 pilots annually.
The report also stated that the chosen helicopter for the initiative will gradually replace the Airbus UH-72A Lakota fleet operational since the 2000s, and its training structure, upon entry. It also said that Lockheed’s planned Flight School Next capability is the Robinson Helicopter Company’s R66 NxG platform.
They said that together, they will provide technical support, spare parts, and a dedicated training services package tailored for the army’s competency efforts.
The report added that the M1 provides organizational, intermediate, and depot-level maintenance for more than 500 helicopters across five primary airfields, supporting up to 400 sorties daily and 240,000 flight hours annually.
In addition to the Robinson Helicopter Company, M1’s consortium includes General Dynamics Information Technology, Quantum Helicopters, and the University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation.
Source: The Defense Post
