Sikorsky-Boeing protest Army’s FLRAA award to Bell Textron

THERESA HITCHENS

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WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky and teammate Boeing today formally protested the Army’s choice of Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor in the coveted Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition, asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the decision.

“Based on a thorough review of the information and feedback provided by the Army, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky, on behalf of Team DEFIANT, is challenging the FLRAA decision. The data and discussions lead us to believe the proposals were not consistently evaluated to deliver the best value in the interest of the Army, our Soldiers and American taxpayers,” the two companies declared in a statement.

On Dec. 4, the Army announced it had selected the Valor over the Defiant. The announced deal is worth up to $1.3 billion with the initial obligation valued at $232 million over the next 19 months. However, should the FLRAA program move into full production, the Army estimates it could be worth $70 billion over its lifetime.

Given the money involved, a bid protest wasn’t unexpected. Following the award announcement, Douglas Bush, the assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, told reporters on Dec. 5 that the service’s FLRAA schedule already has “accounted” for a protest.

GAO has up to 100 days to rule in a bid protest, but the congressional watchdog agency strives to resolve cases as quickly as possible.

Some analysts believe the choice of Bell’s tiltrotor-based Valor over Sikorsky-Boeing’s coaxial rotor Defiant X could also shape the technological direction of the Army’s upcoming Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition. FARA is the potential replacement for the retired OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. For that competition, Bell’s 360 Invictus is up against Sikorsky’s Raider X.

FARA flight testing is still a ways away, delayed at least a year in part due to problems with the Improved Turbine Engine Program. Army officials have said they are hopeful prototype flights can begin in fiscal 2024.