Sixth Generation of Vertical Lift -
Are We Already Late?

The time to begin investing in the sixth generation of vertical lift development is now. We can skip an entire generation of vertical lift development by committing to a sustained period of technology readiness and focus our science and technology efforts to mature the technology that we know we will need to support the future ground force.

By identifying the technologies we expect to need in a sixth generation vertical lift fleet our nation’s top scientists, physicists, and aerospace engineers can reduce the technology risk enough to allow future decision makers to make this happen.

The technologies identified must be clearly focused on what Army Aviation feels will most support the future ground forces. This strategy can give us a more mature science and technology/research and development (S&T/R&D) base that can be tested and ready when the time comes to directly field a sixth generation aircraft.

This action will also keep our magnificent work force growing in their technical capability. We need a strong and capable professional vertical lift work force. This is true for aircraft specific items as well as our integration efforts and the development of cyber-physical systems.

Army Aviation is in an excellent position to consider this S&T course of action. We are fielding the UH-60M, the Longbow Block III, and the CH-47 F model. These helicopters have had the insertion of some the government and industry technologies that were developed for what was to be our fifth generation helicopter, the Comanche. It is not a stretch to call the UH-60M, CH-47F, and AH-64 Block III four and half generation machines.

Additionally, the Army is actively pursuing a range of options to cover our manned Scout Requirements. The Army is looking at finding a solution between extending the service life of the current scout and seeking an off the shelf solution that improves on our current capability.

We can keep these existing aircraft mission-effective by utilizing our Life Cycle management strategy and continuing our current fleet sustainment efforts, such as RESET. Additional efforts such as utilizing the Airframe Inspection and Maintenance (AIM) program for the training fleet, that has not deployed, can keep our aviation force strong and leading the world in vertical lift until the time we need a new start to replace them.

Sustaining the current force while committing to leap-ahead capability has the potential to ensure our Army has the future performance, autonomy, survivability, and the dramatically reduced sustainment burden that our troopers deserve.

This decision can provide us integrated future vertical lift aircraft with game changing growth. To do all of this will require a strong career path for our future engineers, scientists and technicians. This type of commitment is needed to keep the United States a vertical lift leader.

It was the bold decisions of those who believed in the science to mature the turbo shaft engine that made the Vietnam helicopter fleet so dependable and capable as we left the first and second generations of piston-powered aircraft. It was the bold decisions of those leaders in the 1970s that brought us the Big Five that included the Apache and Black Hawk of the fourth generation that set the conditions for our Army warriors since the mid-Eighties.

I was fortunate to benefit from both of those decisions during my combat time flying the Cobra in Vietnam and again flying the Apache in Desert Storm and having the Black Hawk, Abrams tank and Bradley fighting vehicle in my Brigade Task Force. It is now time for another vertical lift bold Science and Technology decision to be made.

We are a Nation that provides our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen the best equipment, training, and support in the world. It is now your generation’s turn to begin setting the conditions for our future warriors. The majority of this future force and scientists may not even be part of the Army today. We owe them our best efforts to set the conditions for their success.

Now is the time to identify and invest in those leap-ahead technologies that will enable future Army Aviation to provide unprecedented support to the ground forces. Science takes time. We now have the time. But, we have the time only if we commit now and begin a serious program of sustained investment.

We owe it to our future Soldiers and Families.