Rolls-Royce announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Bell Textron to provide the propulsion system for Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor. In addition to the propulsion system, Rolls-Royce will also be supplying an advanced infrared suppressor system for the Valor. Along with the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant, the V-280 was selected last March to compete in the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program.
“We are excited to work with Rolls-Royce to deliver a propulsion system that integrates game-changing performance with lifecycle affordability from the start to help our customers achieve their goals,” said Bell Vice President and Program Director for FLRAA Ryan Ehinger. “Bell and Team Valor members are applying our collective vertical flight expertise to create aircraft capable of delivering a transformational capability to soldiers.”
Like the SB-1, the V-280 was initially developed for the Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) program, a predecessor to FLRAA designed to gather data on suitable prototypes. The FLRAA is aimed at replacing the Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with the goal of fielding the chosen aircraft by 2030. As previously reported by AVweb, the V-280 Valor flew for the first time in December 2017.
