Sikorsky Optimizes Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft Design With Raider

Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky subsidiary has handed over its S-97 Raider compound helicopter to a team to improve the design of the company’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft offering for the U.S. Army, Rotor & Wing International reported Tuesday.

“We’ve essentially transitioned the asset to the FARA team to execute risk reduction for FARA,” said Chris Van Buiten, vice president of Sikorsky Innovations.

Van Buiten noted that the compound helicopter is “very representative” of what the company will propose to the service branch.

Sikorsky is one of the five contractors selected by the Army in April to design prototypes of the FARA platform, which will replace the service’s OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft and a portion of the AH-64 Apache helicopter fleet.

The report said the Raider aircraft has logged a total of 55 flight hours and has flown at an altitude of up to 8K feet and at a level cruise flight of 207 knots.