Bell Textron has received a $13.5 million multi-year contract from US Army Contracting Command to conduct design studies, analysis, simulation, testing, integration and fabrication activities in connection with the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.

Operating within the FARA concept, the U.S. Army expected to replace the OH-58 Scout helicopter. The FARA competition seeks to test and acquire a next-generation attack reconnaissance aircraft to fill a critical capability gap identified by the Army on a rapid schedule.

The Army requires an aircraft capable of operating in a complex airspace and degraded environments against peer and near-peer adversaries with an advanced integrated air defence system. The current aviation fleet does not possess a dedicated aircraft to conduct armed reconnaissance, light attack, and security with improved standoff and lethal and non-lethal capabilities from a platform sized to hide in radar clutter and for the urban canyons of mega cities.

In mid-March, the U.S. Army selected Bell Textron Inc. and Sikorsky, a business unit of Lockheed Martin, to build and test versatile, lethal and sustainable competitive prototypes for the FARA program.