DOD adds $11M for Army's future vertical lift effort in omnibus request

A key aviation effort under the Army's future vertical lift modernization priority is getting an $11 million increase for risk reduction as part of the Defense Department's annual omnibus reprogramming request to Congress.

The funding, part of a larger $75 million research, development, test and evaluation increase, will be used to reduce risks to the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft that were identified by an independent technical risk assessment conducted by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

"Funds are required for the Joint Multi Role Technology Demonstrator test flight envelope expansion to reduce OSD Research and Engineering (R&E) Independent Technical Risk Assessment (ITRA) identified risk for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program of record," the request, obtained by Inside Defense, states. "The resources support continued flight test demonstration tasks focused on specific technical maturation. This is a base budget requirement."

FLRAA, one of the programs under the Army's future vertical lift modernization effort, is currently in a competitive demonstration and risk reduction phase which will last for two years. Sikorsky-Boeing and Bell were awarded CDRR contracts for the effort in March.

The total FY-20 funding for future vertical lift advanced technology development would be $185.9 million in the base budget after the requested increase.