The world’s largest aerospace company Boeing has announced that it will be unveiled the concept of its newest armed reconnaissance helicopter in March.
U.S. aerospace giant will reveal the newest Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, or FARA.
The U.S. Army needs a helicopter that can go farther, identify targets faster, and deliver battlefield intelligence more rapidly – all at an affordable cost. Designed specifically with aviators and soldiers in mind, Boeing FARA is an all-new, agile, and survivable helicopter purpose-built for the U.S. Army to achieve the range, speed, maneuverability, and next-generation performance needed by ground forces to get there, stay there, and dominate in the future fight.
“Boeing FARA is not just another helicopter – it is designed For the Army, For the Mission, For the Future,” according to a company news release.
This platform will contain a variety of payloads to degrade or destroy advanced unmanned aerial systems and provide support to troops on the ground.
“FARA is going to be the greatest armed reconnaissance helicopter in the world,” said Brig. Gen. Walter Rugen at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium in March 2019.
The FARA will be a light-attack and reconnaissance aircraft that will be able to avoid radar detection and operate in densely populated megacities. Requirements for the FARA include enough AI to fly unmanned at least part of the time, a secure communications network to control specialized drones, an open architecture, speed up to 235 miles per hour and the ability to reach targets 155 miles away. The Army plans to conduct flight testing on the prototypes in 2023 and make a procurement decision in 2024, then field this new capability to a combat unit soon afterward.
The Army has long needed a new reconnaissance aircraft. Back in 2012, the Army reassigned a portion of its AH-64 Apache fleet to support heavy attack reconnaissance squadrons, as a replacement for the OH-58 Kiowa.
What does an advanced battlefield system look like? Take a look at #BoeingFARA. It is tailored for the @USArmy and ready for recon attack missions. pic.twitter.com/h6KRui06j2
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) February 18, 2020
