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Sikorsky presented a reconnaissance helicopter of the future called Raider X

marianomarianoPosted for Everyone to comment on, 4 years ago3 min read

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Thanks to her, the Americans are to significantly increase their advantage over the enemy, which has recently become China. The Pentagon focuses on new aircraft in its army renewal program. They are to be universal, so they can replace many different types currently used.

Sikorsky, which belongs to the armaments group Lockheed Martin, is to help the Pentagon realize its vision. He just presented his next machine. Raider X was created for light attacks on the battlefield, transport of soldiers and reconnaissance missions. Sikorsky is to participate in the competition for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, organized by the US government.

Raider X was based on innovative X2 machines. It is a co-axial rotorcraft with counter-rotating fixed rotors and a propeller mounted on the stern. The machine can fly at speeds up to 463 km / h at an altitude of about 2800 meters. Its attribute is extraordinary flexibility in maneuvering, even at enormous speeds. The aircraft was also equipped with the latest observation equipment.

In addition to the Raider X, the Pentagon also puts on the Bell V-280 Valor and Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant machines, i.e. capable of vertical take-offs and landings (VTOL), which will replace the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey (see here). Bell V-280 can take 11 soldiers on board, has a range of about 1000 kilometers, can fly on a ceiling of about 9000 meters and accelerate to 400 km / h. Meanwhile, Defiant can take slightly more soldiers on board, as many as 13, plus two pilots or a lot of equipment. Its range, flight altitude and flight speed are similar to Valor.

USAF is also very interested in sky taxis. A huge attribute of these are artificial intelligence systems that will be able to fly quickly, efficiently and safely. Not without significance here is their fully electric and quiet drive (noise level 62 dBA) and the ability to make various modifications to adapt to perform the tasks you need.

At the moment, the US Army on a massive scale uses the famous and well-deserved AC-130J Hercules, one of the largest transport machines in the world. However, the Pentagon sees potential in much smaller units that will transport soldiers in smaller units of 5-6 people. An important reason here is the safety of soldiers and the machines themselves. Sky taxis will be incomparably cheaper not only in construction or purchase, but also in operation.

When an enemy successfully attacks an Hercules class aircraft, the effects will be deplorable, for the army would lose tens or hundreds of soldiers, no longer looking at a plane worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, in the case of sky taxis, a maximum of 5 soldiers will die, and equipment worth only a few million dollars will be destroyed. The difference is therefore colossal.


The Pentagon is considering buying a taxi called Nexus from Bell. They were presented at the last CES Consumer Electronics Fair 2019 in Las Vegas (see here). Up to 4 people will be able to board this interesting-looking machine, and when there are flights in autonomous mode, up to 5 people. The army did not indicate when the soldiers would start flying with such machines, but Bell announced some time ago that in the cities his flying vehicles would start appearing in about 2 years.

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