Six supplier companies join Team Defiant

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, and Boeing have named six new members of Team Defiant. These supplier teammates will join the team to support Defiant X, the advanced helicopter for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition.

Joining the team are:

• ATI Forged Products, Cudahy, Wisconsin: gearbox forgings

• Collins Aerospace, Windsor Locks, Connecticut: Perigon flight control and vehicle management computer; and Colorado Springs, Colorado: aircraft seats

• Elbit Systems of America, Fort Worth, Texas: mission system computer

• Parker Aerospace, Irvine, California: flight controls; and Kalamazoo, Michigan: hydraulic pumps and modules

• Magnaghi Aeronautica, Medford, New York: landing gear

• Marotta Controls, Boonton, New Jersey: electrical power system components

“Team DEFIANT is building a strong nationwide supply chain to provide the Army a transformational aircraft,” said Paul Lemmo, president of Sikorsky. “This team and its proven experience will ensure that Defiant X is a low-risk, reliable and survivable aircraft for our soldiers and the Army’s long-range assault mission.”

Mark Cherry, vice president and general manager of Boeing Vertical Lift, said, “Leveraging many existing supplier relationships, we’ve put together the best industry team to deliver a purpose-built, low-risk and cost-effective next-generation aircraft that can operate across multiple theaters, well into the future.”

These companies were selected based on experience supporting the U.S. Army’s Black Hawks, Apaches, and Chinooks. The team will incorporate the Army’s Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) requirements and continue to embrace advanced manufacturing techniques already used to design and manufacture the Army’s current fleet.

The team announced in February that Honeywell will provide its new HTS7500 turboshaft engine to power Defiant X.

Contract award for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft is expected this year.