Army agrees to future rotorcraft collaboration with Netherlands

The Army has agreed to collaborate with the Netherlands on developing the next generation of rotorcraft, the nations announced July 21.

The agreement, signed by Army acquisition executive Doug Bush and a Dutch military official, is intended to promote opportunities to ensure interoperability and information sharing on rotorcraft, including Future Vertical Lift, according to the Army announcement.

“Technological cooperation through arrangements like this improves our ability to collectively modernize and increase interoperability, ensuring we can train and fight alongside our allies and partners more effectively and efficiently,” Bush said in the announcement.

According to the announcement of the Future Rotorcraft Concept Analysis Project Arrangement the nations intend to develop “plans for cooperation in future phases” of the FVL project.

The announcement says both countries will bring to the table new concepts for coalition air power, but it specifically says the nations will “assess collaboration opportunities” in the full suite of FVL activities. That includes the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft and Air Launched Effects, among others, according to the announcement.

The agreement leaves open the possibility for collaborating on research, development, test and evaluation efforts and calls for collaboration on Army aviation modernization priorities. The Dutch military previously agreed to deals with the U.S. to upgrade its fleet of AH-64 Apaches and fly the upgraded CH-47F variant of the Chinook.

Last week’s agreement is similar to an interoperability pact the Army agreed to with the United Kingdom earlier this year. That agreement called on the U.S. and U.K. to share information about their future rotorcraft programs and enable integration between the two armed forces.

Industry analysts have said they anticipate FLRAA will have strong demand overseas. The Army says that aircraft will replace the UH-60 Black Hawk, which is flown by 28 countries outside the U.S.