Helicopters of the Future: Technology That Lets Pilots

Focus on the Fight

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, hypersonics, machine learning, nanotechnology, and
robotics are expected to revolutionize the battlefields of the future. The complexity of modern warfare is
also pushing the U.S. military to see how technology can advance familiar assets, such as helicopters, so
they do things previously unimaginable.
“We are going to have to change the way we fight. We are going to have to change some of the equipment
that we use, and we are going to have to retrain our people so they can start to think about the fight they
have in the future,” Gen. James McConville, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, said during his May 2, 2019
confirmation hearing.
These changes include next generation helicopters that can do much more than today’s versions, including
supporting systems that “can operate in a highly contested operational environment, cannot be easily
isolated from the rest of the Joint Force or from partners, and are able to conduct independent
maneuver,” according to  The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain Operations, 2028.

Helicopters proved indispensable during the Vietnam War for their ability to hover and maneuver vertically
in dense jungle environments. They’ve continued to play a crucial role in missions ranging from combat
search and rescue and air assault to MEDEVAC and reconnaissance. 
The missions and threats of today and the future are different. For example, the need to penetrate beyond the
reach of coalition forces in the Iraqi desert and supply ground forces surrounded by rugged mountains in
Afghanistan has challenged the helicopters of today’s fleet.
Some of the Army’s existing fleet are more than 50 years old. Commanders say the next generation of these
aircraft will need to be faster, more maneuverable, more lethal, and technologically advanced, including the
ability to team with autonomous aircraft.  
“We are going to have to change the way we fight. We are going to have to
change some of the equipment that we use, and we are going to have to retrain
our people so they can start to think about the fight they have in the future.” ~
Gen. James McConville, U.S. Army Chief of Staff

The Future is X2
Sikorsky, which is owned by Lockheed Martin, has been working on a new technology for decades in
anticipation of this need. It calls it X2 Technology™, and for good reason.
“X2 is two times the speed of your basic helicopter,” said Bill Fell, a former Army combat pilot and chief
project pilot with Sikorsky. “When that infantry man is out there in need of assistance, be it a MEDEVAC
aircraft coming to him or an assault aircraft that’s bringing in the cavalry – when they’re getting there twice
as fast, that guy is pretty thankful for that.”
Fell says X2 provides the futuristic capabilities the Army is seeking, including high speed and
maneuverability. It can be integrated in various kinds of helicopters, supporting a variety of military
missions including air assault, air movement and MEDEVAC. The company has also demonstrated the
technology on small helicopters typically used for reconnaissance, security and attack needs.
“In the past decade, we’ve designed, developed and flown four demonstrator aircraft with X2 Technology,”
said Fell. “We developed the X2 demonstrator, two light tactical S-97 Raider aircraft, and the medium-
lift SB>1 Defiant, which was created through a Sikorsky-Boeing partnership.”

Lower and faster in High-Threat Enviroment

In 2010, Sikorsky showed what X2 Technology could do in a demonstration for Army officials . In
addition to speed, Sikorsky says the technology includes fly-by-wire controls, improved hover performance,
rapid maneuverability, and crisp control response due to the rigid rotor – all while maintaining helicopter-
like performance at low speeds.
Fell said that over the course of testing in the simulator, a number of pilots were brought in to fly a terrain
course. “Consistently, the pilots in an X2 Technology aircraft fly faster and closer to the terrain. That is a
tremendous advantage to the warfighter,” especially in high-threat  environments made more complex by
physical obstacles.
Christiaan Corry, a test pilot on the S-97 Raider program, noted that the fly-by-wire controls, which take on
some of the decision-making, reduce pilot workload.  
“With X2, the machine does a lot of the stability,” he said, “and to the extent possible, allows the pilot to be
fully focused on what the battle scene is and not worrying, ‘Am I flying the right attitude and air speed?’”
As for maneuverability, Sikorsky says the technology allows for high agility at low speed, acceleration
without changing altitude, a tighter turning radius, and the ability to execute a nose-down hover.
As the Army progresses in its work to define the future of vertical lift, X2 Technology is already showing
what’s possible. And Sikorsky continues to demonstrate the technology’s strength in a rigorous flight test
program. Earlier this month, the vertical-lift pioneer announced its newest X2-based offering, the Raider
X and positioned it as contender as the Army searches for a future attack and reconnaissance aircraft. The
Army will select two prototypes from five proposals by the middle of next year.