Bell Textron will set up a 447,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to support the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft production.
The facility will focus on FLRAA component manufacturing, with modifications and equipment installations set to prepare it for low-rate initial production by 2028, Textron said Tuesday.
In March, Bell opened a weapon systems integration lab at its Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas for future development programs, including the FLRAA.
In November, the company selected its Wichita, Kansas facility for FLRAA fuselage assembly and designated several Texas sites for assembly support including the Advanced Composite Center in Fort Worth for component assembly and the Amarillo facility for final aircraft assembly.
Bell President and CEO Lisa Atherton said the company “is committed to establishing future manufacturing locations to deliver the first fielded aircraft by the early 2030s.”