Wichita, KS (November 6, 2024) – Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today the site selection for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) fuselage assembly in Wichita, Kansas at an existing facility located at Beech Field on Textron Aviation’s East Campus near the site of Textron Aviation Defense. Bell plans to begin operations at the facility in the next several months.
In addition to manufacturing the FLRAA fuselage at the newly established Bell Wichita facility, supporting work will take place at several of Bell’s advanced manufacturing facilities in Texas, including Bell’s Advanced Composite Center in Fort Worth, and final assembly of the aircraft will occur in Amarillo.
“Bell Textron’s decision to continue production of the Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft in Kansas marks an historic day for the Air Capital of the World. This announcement is a testament to the Kansas workforce and the unique combination of academia and industry that Wichita has to offer. I look forward to our state supporting this generational aircraft that will impact our national security and workforce for years to come.”
Following the U.S. Army’s FLRAA contract award in December 2022, Bell established several new state-of-the-art facilities and several new innovative manufacturing processes to drive cost, schedule and performance to support program execution. As Bell and the FLRAA team work through the EMD phase, Bell’s focus will be on continued design maturation and prototyping.
The U.S. Army’s new long-range assault aircraft will fly twice as far and twice as fast as the current fleet. By utilizing mature tiltrotor technology coupled with an innovative digital engineering approach and a modular systems approach, it will be the most reliable, affordable and high-performing long-range assault aircraft in the world.
About Bell
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 90 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.
We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.
Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
About Textron
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.
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- Blakeley Thress
- Military: Future Vertical Lift
- mediarelations@bellflight.com
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