Bell Textron has been awarded a contract through the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) dual profile program. This contract, worth up to $1.3B, will see the replacement of the US Army’s fleet of Black Hawk helicopters.

Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor has just been chosen for the FVL’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) mission profile, while the Bell 360 Invictus is being proposed for the FVL’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) profile.

Bell Textron’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor which acts as a helicopter when taking off or landing, but in the air can reconfigure itself to fly faster than traditional helicopters. The V-280 is designed for a cruising speed of 280 knots, a range of 3,900 km and an effective combat range of 930 to 1,480 km.