GE Aerospace has been awarded a subcontract by Bell Textron Inc. to design, develop, and deliver avionics systems for the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program.
The announcement follows the Army’s approval of Milestone B, officially launching the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the next-generation vertical lift platform.
Bell, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., leads the FLRAA team. GE Aerospace will contribute key avionics technologies, including the “Digital Backbone” and Health Awareness System, both of which aim to increase adaptability, reduce long-term costs, and enhance mission readiness.
In a statement, Matt Burns, general manager of Avionics Systems for GE Aerospace, said, “The maturity of the digital backbone for the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft was critical to passing Milestone B and entering the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the program.”
Tanika Watson, general manager for Future Vertical Lift at GE Aerospace, added, “Entering this next phase enables us to continue advancing the digital backbone for the U.S. Army’s future vertical lift programs. The Digital Backbone provides the framework to make aircraft system modifications and realize the benefits of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) designs from the outset of Future Vertical Lift programs.”
The Digital Backbone is designed to provide a high-speed, reliable data network using Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), which allows for rapid and secure data transfer throughout the aircraft. This open architecture approach enables the Army to integrate and upgrade systems without going through a centralized systems integrator—reducing costs and accelerating capability updates.
Alongside the Digital Backbone, GE Aerospace is supplying its Health Awareness System, a predictive maintenance platform developed from decades of experience across commercial and military aviation. The system is designed to increase operational availability and reduce maintenance costs by identifying issues before they become mission-limiting failures.
FLRAA is a core component of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift modernization priority and is intended to eventually replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. The program aims to deliver greater speed, range, and survivability than current rotorcraft platforms.