Congress won’t fund the Army’s plans to outsource training for new helicopter pilots until it sees the results of a trial program. That hasn’t stopped the service from notifying several companies that they’re progressing in the competition to take on the job.
Tucked into the 3,000-page National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law last month, is a provision stating that funds can’t “be obligated or expended to solicit proposals or award a contract for the implementation of any transformation of the Initial Entry Rotary Wing training program” at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Instead, the provision requires a detailed report on the ongoing, one-year pilot program that is trying out the Army’s ideas about shifting initial helicopter training from an in-house school to a contractor-owned and -operated model. And it requires a briefing from Army Secretary Dan Driscoll on the cost-effectiveness and “the rationale for any proposed changes to training systems or platforms.”
Service officials and defense contractors have said the new model, dubbed Flight School Next, will reduce costs by taking helicopters, instructors, and maintenance out of the service’s hands. They also say switching to a single-engine helicopter will better help aviators to refine their skills. A call-for-solutions document issued last month says that the winner of the Flight School Next contract would produce 800 to 1,500 Army aviators annually for 26 years.
Several companies vying for the contract said this week that Army officials had notified them that they’re advancing to the next stage of the competition for the Flight School Next contract.
The Army did not return a request for comment by publication time regarding the NDAA provision and the names of the companies tagged to move ahead.
Lockheed Martin was notified by the Army in December, company spokesperson Leighan Burrell told Defense One on Wednesday. Burrell said the nation’s largest defense contractor plans to reveal later this month who it’s working with and which helicopter it will propose to use. In November, the company touted its success with international training programs such as Australia’s AIR5428 Pilot Training System, the Singapore Basic Wings Course, and the United Kingdom Military Flying Training System.
A spokesperson for Bell said that their company, which is basing its bid on the 505 helicopter, had similarly been notified last month.
“We are honored to move forward in the Army’s Flight School Next program,” said Jeffrey Schloesser, senior vice president of strategic pursuits at Bell, in a Monday news release. “With Bell’s extensive history in military flight training, the proven Bell 505, and the expertise of our teammates, we are confident that our turnkey solution will support the Army in developing the next generation of Aviation Warfighters.”
M1 Support Services, whose Flight School Next bid includes Robinson Helicopters and its R66 trainer, will also be moving ahead.
“M1 has advanced to Phase II and will provide the Army impactful innovations including the R66 and many other exceptional training and simulation capabilities,” James Cassella, the chief growth officer for M1, said in an emailed statement. “Our extensive experience at Fort Rucker makes us the only company to offer a seamless, low-risk transition.”
Lee-Anne Jae Aranda, a Robinson Helicopter spokesperson, said in an emailed statement “we look forward to our Prime contracting partners making additional announcements about our collective participation in Flight School Next in the near future.”
The current Army training helicopter, the twin-engine UH-72 Lakota, has been criticized by service leaders as more expensive to operate and more restrictive for teaching fundamental aviation techniques. Its manufacturer, Airbus, has repeatedly pushed back on those claims.
An Airbus spokesperson declined to say whether the company was advancing in the Flight School Next competition.
“We submitted a proposal that reduces Army training costs while meeting its stated training objectives,” Airbus said in an emailed statement. “This includes changes to the multiple contracts supporting Fort Rucker, altering the instructional syllabus, maximizing the UH-72A’s inherent training capabilities, and exploring a hybrid training option with a single engine aircraft alongside the UH-72A. Our solution is affordable, sustainable, retains the safest rotary wing trainer in Fort Rucker history, and honors the U.S. taxpayer’s $2.2B investment in the program.”
Other companies reportedly vying for the contract with single-engine training helicopters are MD Helicopters and Enstrom. Neither returned requests for comment by publication time. Boeing, which is teaming up with Leonardo and its AW119T light helicopter for the offering, declined to comment on the team’s progress in the competition.
The NDAA provision casts doubt on the Army’s plan to award the Flight School Next contract by September.
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