Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin group) has published a video explaining the innovations introduced by the prototype of the new coaxial attack helicopter, designed in collaboration with Boeing, which will be developed for the United States Army. In the short video, lasting about three and a half minutes, the idea of Sikorsky-Boeing regarding the assault and attack versions of the SB-1 is presented Defiant, what could be the future US multirole helicopter.
The new helicopter will have unique technical features and capabilities. Just think of the declared cruising speed of 250 nodes, or 456 kilometers per hour, about twice the average speed of helicopters. But that's not all, because in addition to this the SB-1 Defiant will have the ability to remain in hovering at the altitude of 6.000 feet, about 1.800 meters, and will have the opportunity to bring, in addition to the four crewmen, up to 12 soldiers equipped for combat or, alternatively, 8 stretchers. The video also highlights the cargo capacity and flight range of the aircraft, which can be increased by the possibility of being refueled by the KC-130J, the air-supply variant of the C-130J Hercules, as well as from the future new generation aircraft.
Sikorsky has already carried out numerous test flights of his S-97 Raider (in the image on the right), or the prototype, much smaller, of the SB-1 Defiant. Among the tests carried out, the flight with the retracted cart was also tested, the first time for the US prototype. The Raider, the first development of this long project by Sikorsky, was already intended for the US Army, to the figure of 16 billion dollars, within the program of military acquisitions called "Armed Aerial Scout": all in order to remove from the service and replace the old OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, a derivative of the Bell 206.
But the goal is not only this, because the Sikorsky, which we remember is the builder of the UH-60 Black Hawk and of many other helicopters, it aims to sell its coaxial helicopter even outside the United States. The company is spending millions of dollars on development and technology, in order to compete in the choice of the new US Army multirole helicopter, with the new Bell convertiplano, or the V-280 Market (v.articolo). This will be the only opponent from here to the choice of the vehicle that will replace the Black Hawk for Sikorsky-Boeing and its SB-1 Defiant.
