Jul. 29—Sikorsky and parent Lockheed Martin are dusting off the "X2" helicopter concept to compete for a potential NATO contract, on the heels of losing out to a Bell Textron tiltrotor aircraft for a massive contract with the U.S. Army.
NATO awarded a contract for Sikorsky to produce an "integrated platform concept" for a new helicopter for its member nations, with two companies — Airbus and Leonardo — to compete as well under the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability program.
With turboshaft engine maker Pratt & Whitney on the Airbus team, the NATO competition sets up a potential faceoff between Connecticut's two legendary aviation manufacturers. Pratt & Whitney makes helicopter engines in Canada, with a new plant to open next year in Morocco.
Bell Textron's V-280 Valor is not in the running, but the Texas-based company is partnering with Leonardo on a tiltrotor design for NATO's consideration. Bell had worked with Leonardo predecessor company AgustaWestland to produce the AW609 TiltRotor prototype, which like the Valor and V-22 Osprey is designed to take off vertically then swivel twin rotor sets forward to fly like an airplane. The AW609 TiltRotor uses engines from Pratt & Whitney.
Already reeling from the V-280 contract award over its proposed Defiant-X helicopter based on X2 technology, Sikorsky absorbed a second blow last winter after the Army canceled plans for an armed scout helicopter. That occurred as drones have taken a leading role in the Ukraine- Russia conflict, and amid industry concerns for the vulnerability of helicopters against advanced systems under development to down them.
It marks Sikorsky's first major new contract foray under Rich Benton, who Lockheed Martin promoted to president of Sikorsky in June to replace Paul Lemmo who it transferred to lead Lockheed Martin's larger Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors unit.
Dating back to its years under United Technologies, Stratford-based Sikorsky invested more than $1 billion in developing the X2 concept, which has stacked sets of rotors that spin in opposite directions for more maneuverability, and a rear "pusher" propeller mounted like an airplane's to provide faster speed.
The Airbus concept likewise uses a pusher-prop design, with two mounted on the rear below a standard stabilizer rotor. European nations field several military and dual-use helicopters made by Airbus and predecessor companies.
In December 2022, the Army chose the V-280 over Sikorsky's Defiant-X prototype, with analysts citing the belief the decision hinged on the longer range offered by the Bell tilt-rotor for any potential conflicts in the Pacific Rim or Eastern Europe.
NATO has signaled its intent in late 2020 to consider a new helicopter platform, with its European members having about 3,150 helicopters in their combined fleets. The U.S. and Canadian helicopter fleet numbers about 5,900 in all, with the Sikorsky Black Hawk and variants the dominant aircraft today. The Army envisions replacing some of those aircraft with Bell-built Valor tiltrotors in the coming century.
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