Army Refines Reach, Capability of Launched Effects

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Soldiers discuss prelaunch operations of the RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle on Novo Selo Training Area
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Army Refines Reach, Capability of Launched Effects

Launched effects are the “most cross-cutting” capability in the Army because they offer several options to commanders, a senior leader said.

In remarks at an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic on land-based fires in large-scale combat operations, Brig. Gen. Cain Baker, director of the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team, said that launched effects are much more than just the ground or air platforms they deploy from.

Updated Aircraft Critical to Future Army Success

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Soldiers
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Updated Aircraft Critical to Future Army Success

The Army must continue the work it has begun to update its fleet of helicopters with aircraft that can fly further and faster across the future battlefield, several top Army aviation experts said.

“Modernization is an imperative,” Brig. Gen. Robert Barrie, Aviation program executive officer, said March 17 as he appeared on a panel during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Next virtual conference. 

“I don't see it as a choice,” Barrie said. “It’s a matter of us prioritizing those efforts.”

Future Vertical Lift Gives Army Aviation ‘Phenomenal’ Edge

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Future Vertical Lift Gives Army Aviation ‘Phenomenal’ Edge

Army aviation is on a “fantastic glide slope” as it continues to push ahead to develop next-generation aircraft for the future battlefield, said Maj. Gen. David Francis, commander of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, Alabama.

The aircraft being developed as part of the Future Vertical Lift effort will “inform how we will fight in the future,” Francis said Oct. 15 during a Warriors Corner presentation as part of AUSA Now, the 2020 virtual annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army.

Long-Term Costs Critical to Future Vertical Lift Success

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Long-Term Costs Critical to Future Vertical Lift Success

As the Army moves to replace its aging fleet of helicopters, the service must carefully manage long-term costs as it brings the next-generation aircraft into the force, according to a recent report.

The Army’s Future Vertical Lift program is one of its six top modernization priorities, and the service is working quickly to procure the new aircraft, with plans to field the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft in 2028 and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft in 2030.

CBO Projects Drop in Army Aviation Costs

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CBO Projects Drop in Army Aviation Costs

The annual cost of replacing the Army’s aviation fleet is expected to decline in the 2020s, from about $4 billion in 2018 to about $1.5 billion in 2027, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

CBO predicts costs will then rise to a peak of about $4.7 billion in 2032 before trending downward again.

Army Black Hawks Get Upgrade

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Army Black Hawks Get Upgrade

The Army plans to phase out all its old Alpha-model UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters within the next five years, one of the service’s top acquisition officers said.

The Army has used the Black Hawk since the 1970s, and the venerable aircraft has undergone several upgrades since then, with Victor and Mike being the newest, digital models.

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