The Sikorsky company has been producing a reconnaissance and attack helicopter for the US Army and the FARA program for many months. The latest information shows that the work is now nearing completion and to prove it, the American company Lockheed Martin has provided a photo of the current state, which can be proud of the Sikorsky Raider X prototype. Currently, the prototype is said to be 85% completed, and its flight must be completed. be held later this year.
In October 2019, Sikorsky, acquired by Lockheed Martin, unveiled the curtain on the Raider X recon helicopter, which was created for fast reconnaissance missions and equally fast attacks. It took place at the annual conference of the United States Army Association (AUSA) in Washington, where Lockheed Martin’s company officially announced its proposal for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program.
The main goal of the winner of the FARA program, which in addition to the Raider X can be 360 Invictus from Bell , is to provide the US Army with a light combat helicopter for reconnaissance missions and escort special forces behind enemy lines. Sikorsky’s work is based on the S-97 Raider demonstration helicopter and the Sikorsky X2 experimental helicopter, as you can see immediately as the Raider X is an example of a rotorcraft with two coaxial, counter-rotating fixed rotors and a rear-mounted propeller. It will be powered by the General Electric T901-GE-900 (GE3000) turboshaft engine.
Chances are good that its performance is similar to the aforementioned technology demonstrators. Therefore, we can assume that the Raider X will reach a speed of over 460 km / h and will be able to operate at an altitude of over 2740 meters while offering high maneuverability. According to Lockheed Martin, Raider X uses production practices acquired from older works from companies like CH-53K, CH-148 and F-35, which lowers implementation costs and provides a simple design to upgrade the base and equipment to meet future threats.
Radier X’s avionics and mission systems are based on Modern Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) and therefore provide greater flexibility and survivability thanks to plug-and-play layouts for sensors, modules and weapons. This helicopter is also equipped with avionics and fly-by-wire control system.
Maryam's Blog 