Rolls-Royce has begun ground testing the engines that will power the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), marking a new milestone in the development of the service’s next-generation tiltrotor.
Testing of the AE 1107F turboshaft engine is underway at Rolls-Royce’s Indianapolis facility, the company’s main US manufacturing and test site. The engine will equip Bell’s MV-75 tiltrotor, selected in 2022 to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk under the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift program.
“We continue working closely with the US Army and our industry partners to deliver an ultra-modern propulsion solution with proven, low-risk AE 1107F engines and a fully integrated system design,” Candice Bineyard, Director, US Business Development & Future Programs
for Rolls-Royce Defense, said. “Engine testing represents the next critical milestone in bringing this revolutionary capability to our service members.”
FLRAA engine testing gets underway
The AE 1107 engine (Credit: Rolls-Royce)
Each MV-75 will be powered by two AE 1107F engines, a derivative of Rolls-Royce’s AE engine family. The AE 1107 traces its lineage to the Rolls-Royce T406, the engine that powers the US Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor. That propulsion system has accumulated millions of flight hours in operational service, providing a mature baseline for FLRAA.
For the MV-75, Rolls-Royce is adapting the core design to meet higher power demands, improved reliability targets, and the sustained high-speed flight profile required by the US Army.
The start of engine testing comes as the US Army continues to push for rapid progress on FLRAA, which is intended to deliver significantly greater speed and range than legacy helicopters while retaining vertical takeoff and landing capability.
The MV-75 is planned to enter service with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, which the US Army has identified as the first operational unit to field the aircraft.
What FLRAA is set to replace
The FLRAA program is intended to replace more than 2,000 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters over the coming decades, with the first production aircraft expected to be delivered around 2030. The overall program value could exceed $70 billion.
Bell’s V-280 Valor, now designated MV-75, was selected over the Boeing-Sikorsky SB-1 Defiant compound helicopter. The MV-75 tiltrotor is designed to carry up to 14 troops and four crew members and reach speeds of around 300 knots, with a range of roughly 2,100 nautical miles, significantly extending the US Army’s air assault reach compared with legacy platforms.
