A computer-generated image of Sikorsky-Boeing's Defiant X. (Sikorsky-Boeing)

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied a Sikorsky-Boeing team's protest to overturn the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) decision, which awarded to Bell Helicopter a USD7.1 billion contract to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as the service's mainstay helicopter.

Sikorsky and Boeing submitted the team's Defiant X for the contract, featuring co-axial rotor blades and a pusher propeller, but the army in 2022 announced its preference for Bell's competing V-280 Valor. Anticipating a protest, Doug Bush – army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology – said at the award announcement that the army had factored time for a GAO decision into the programme's schedule.

Sikorsky – owned by Lockheed Martin – quickly filed a protest with GAO on behalf of the team. “We remain confident the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and Boeing team submitted the most capable, affordable, and lowest-risk Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft solution,” Lockheed said in a statement following the GAO's rebuff. “We will review the GAO's decision and determine our next steps.”

A computer-generated image of Sikorsky-Boeing's Defiant X. (Sikorsky-Boeing)

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied a Sikorsky-Boeing team's protest to overturn the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) decision, which awarded to Bell Helicopter a USD7.1 billion contract to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as the service's mainstay helicopter.

Sikorsky and Boeing submitted the team's Defiant X for the contract, featuring co-axial rotor blades and a pusher propeller, but the army in 2022 announced its preference for Bell's competing V-280 Valor. Anticipating a protest, Doug Bush – army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology – said at the award announcement that the army had factored time for a GAO decision into the programme's schedule.

Sikorsky – owned by Lockheed Martin – quickly filed a protest with GAO on behalf of the team. “We remain confident the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and Boeing team submitted the most capable, affordable, and lowest-risk Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft solution,” Lockheed said in a statement following the GAO's rebuff. “We will review the GAO's decision and determine our next steps.”

A computer-generated image of Sikorsky-Boeing's Defiant X. (Sikorsky-Boeing)

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied a Sikorsky-Boeing team's protest to overturn the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) decision, which awarded to Bell Helicopter a USD7.1 billion contract to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as the service's mainstay helicopter.

Sikorsky and Boeing submitted the team's Defiant X for the contract, featuring co-axial rotor blades and a pusher propeller, but the army in 2022 announced its preference for Bell's competing V-280 Valor. Anticipating a protest, Doug Bush – army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology – said at the award announcement that the army had factored time for a GAO decision into the programme's schedule.

Sikorsky – owned by Lockheed Martin – quickly filed a protest with GAO on behalf of the team. “We remain confident the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and Boeing team submitted the most capable, affordable, and lowest-risk Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft solution,” Lockheed said in a statement following the GAO's rebuff. “We will review the GAO's decision and determine our next steps.”

A computer-generated image of Sikorsky-Boeing's Defiant X. (Sikorsky-Boeing)

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied a Sikorsky-Boeing team's protest to overturn the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) decision, which awarded to Bell Helicopter a USD7.1 billion contract to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as the service's mainstay helicopter.

Sikorsky and Boeing submitted the team's Defiant X for the contract, featuring co-axial rotor blades and a pusher propeller, but the army in 2022 announced its preference for Bell's competing V-280 Valor. Anticipating a protest, Doug Bush – army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology – said at the award announcement that the army had factored time for a GAO decision into the programme's schedule.

Sikorsky – owned by Lockheed Martin – quickly filed a protest with GAO on behalf of the team. “We remain confident the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and Boeing team submitted the most capable, affordable, and lowest-risk Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft solution,” Lockheed said in a statement following the GAO's rebuff. “We will review the GAO's decision and determine our next steps.”

A computer-generated image of Sikorsky-Boeing's Defiant X. (Sikorsky-Boeing)

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied a Sikorsky-Boeing team's protest to overturn the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) decision, which awarded to Bell Helicopter a USD7.1 billion contract to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as the service's mainstay helicopter.

Sikorsky and Boeing submitted the team's Defiant X for the contract, featuring co-axial rotor blades and a pusher propeller, but the army in 2022 announced its preference for Bell's competing V-280 Valor. Anticipating a protest, Doug Bush – army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology – said at the award announcement that the army had factored time for a GAO decision into the programme's schedule.

Sikorsky – owned by Lockheed Martin – quickly filed a protest with GAO on behalf of the team. “We remain confident the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and Boeing team submitted the most capable, affordable, and lowest-risk Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft solution,” Lockheed said in a statement following the GAO's rebuff. “We will review the GAO's decision and determine our next steps.”

A computer-generated image of Sikorsky-Boeing's Defiant X. (Sikorsky-Boeing)

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied a Sikorsky-Boeing team's protest to overturn the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) decision, which awarded to Bell Helicopter a USD7.1 billion contract to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as the service's mainstay helicopter.

Sikorsky and Boeing submitted the team's Defiant X for the contract, featuring co-axial rotor blades and a pusher propeller, but the army in 2022 announced its preference for Bell's competing V-280 Valor. Anticipating a protest, Doug Bush – army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology – said at the award announcement that the army had factored time for a GAO decision into the programme's schedule.

Sikorsky – owned by Lockheed Martin – quickly filed a protest with GAO on behalf of the team. “We remain confident the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and Boeing team submitted the most capable, affordable, and lowest-risk Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft solution,” Lockheed said in a statement following the GAO's rebuff. “We will review the GAO's decision and determine our next steps.”