US Army suspends £1.5bn FARA programme, rethinking warfare through unmanned systems

The FARA (Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft) program's goal was to create a modern attack reconnaissance helicopter to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, which were retired in 2017.

The programme has been ongoing since 2018, and nearly £1.5 billion has been spent on its development. Two helicopters were vying for a Pentagon order as a result: the Sikorsky Raider X and the Bell Textron 360 Invictus.

The prior design was notable for its innovative solutions - the Sikorsky Raider X helicopter equipped with two counter-rotating, co-axial main rotors, and a push propeller in the back, designed for high speeds. It was projected to reach up to 229 mph (modern helicopters typically attain speeds of up to around 150 mph).

The Bell Textron 360 Invictus was a more traditional machine, bearing some resemblance to the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter in appearance.

This helicopter shares more similarities with the RAH-66 Comanche. The RAH-66 Comanche, which was test-flown in 1996, was also intended - as was the case with the FARA program two decades later - to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, for which a successor was being sought at the beginning of the 21st century.

After approximately £5 billion was spent, the Comanche's development ceased in 2004, despite having achieved the stage of two flying prototypes. The stoppage was justified by escalating costs and the growing prominence of unmanned systems.

The cancellation of the FARA program implies more than merely halting the development of two groundbreaking helicopters. It also delayed the launch of the futuristic General Electric T901-GE-900 engine.

This new power unit was supposed to be installed in the Raider X and 360 Invictus helicopters, as well as the modernized versions of the AH-64E Apache Guardian and UH-60M/V Black Hawk, eventually. The engine was also slated to power the futuristic Bell V-280 Valor helicopter, Black Hawk's successor.

As a result, the FARA program's suspension impacts the entirety of the current project to construct a new aviation component for the U.S. Army.

The abrupt decision to stop a program that has spanned many years, costing over £1.5 billion and estimated to require an additional £3.8 billion in the upcoming years, is justified by the Pentagon taking lessons from the course of the war in Ukraine.

The Americans argue that battlefield reconnaissance methods have significantly evolved, with sensors mounted on unmanned systems assuming a vital role, supplemented by the universal availability of inexpensive and rapid satellite reconnaissance.