Story by Capt. Lydia LaRue

ANSBACH, Germany – The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) has reflagged its attack battalion from 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack), to 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (Attack), effective immediately, Oct. 14, 2025.

The activation of the “Gunslingers” Battalion is largely a change in name-only for the 12th CAB, part of the wider Army Aviation Transformation Initiative (AATI). This action returns the 1-3 Attack Battalion lineage to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Stewart, Georgia, while re-activating a historic unit name for the U.S. Army’s attack presence in Europe.

“We are redesignating back to 2-159th, and my team is excited to resume the heritage of this storied unit,” said Lt. Col. Comador M. Ferguson III, commander of the 2-159th Attack Battalion. “We will continue to fly and fight the world’s most technically advanced Apache with a laser-like focus on addressing potential near-peer threats, while continuously showcasing our expertise in hard-hitting, gritty lethality.”

Crucially, no Soldiers or equipment will be leaving the 12th CAB. The personnel, helicopters, and mission readiness currently provided by the unit remain here in Germany, continuing their vital role in support of U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF).

The return of the 2-159 name reestablishes a unit with a strong connection to Germany. The 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment was originally constituted in 1968 and was reorganized and redesignated in August 2006 as the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, stationed in Germany at Storck Barracks. In October 2015, as part of a restructuring initiative, it was reflagged as the 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment at Katterbach, the name the battalion carried until this current transformation under the AATI.

“Katterbach has always been more than a duty station; it’s a home to generations of Soldiers, Families, and our German neighbors who have welcomed and supported us,” said Col. Adam R. Bock, commander of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade. “As we reactivate the 2-159th Attack Battalion, let us also rededicate ourselves to the mission, to one another, and to the trust placed in us by our nation.”

Story by Capt. Lydia Laga

BOLESŁAWIEC, Poland – The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, assumed authority of U.S. Army aviation operations in Europe from the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade during a transfer of authority ceremony held in Bolesławiec, Poland on October 28, 2025. This rotational handover underscores V Corps’ commitment to warfighting readiness, providing combat credible forces equipped with attack aviation as a cornerstone capability to remain lethal and agile in deterring potential adversaries.

“I think the one thing that 3rd CAB and 3rd Infantry Division brings to V Corps during this rotation is the absolute flexibility that this aviation brigade is capable of and has presented in many cases throughout its history. Absolute flexibility is our keystone as far the division and our aviation brigade is concerned,” said Col. Robert Harless, commander of 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.

The transition marks the start of 3rd CAB’s rotation supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve and broader missions across the European theater. The brigade’s Soldiers, aircraft, and maintenance teams are now positioned across multiple sites to deliver critical aviation support. This includes reconnaissance, rapid troop movement, sustainment logistics, and fire support for U.S., NATO, and partner forces, enhancing interoperability, and enabling a unified response to transnational threats.

During its rotation, the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade supported over 15 multinational training events, including the Polish Apache Initiative summit in January 2025 at Katterbach Army Airfield. This event, part of a three-phased approach to bolster attack aviation interoperability, brought together key leaders from the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Australia.

Discussions focused on organizing training, fighting, and sustaining AH-64 Apache operations, refining joint tactics and improving coordination between Allied aviation and ground forces during large-scale joint operations across Europe. These efforts directly align with USAREUR-AF’s priorities of building readiness, driving experimentation, and accelerating integration of U.S. and NATO command and control.

As 3rd CAB assumes the mission, the brigade will continue building on those achievements, aligning operations with U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s priorities of readiness, experimentation, and transformation in contact (TiC). The brigade’s distributed presence will enable flexible, rapid responses to emerging requirements while supporting NATO regional defense plans and multinational exercises.

“I think this transfer of authority absolutely empowers every Soldier, within this combat aviation brigade, to represent first the United States of America, the support to the U.S. Constitution and lastly our alliances and partnerships with NATO we have throughout Europe, dating back to our World War I heritage as the 3rd Infantry Division,” Harless said.

Each rotational deployment contributes to the Army’s broader transformation agenda: evaluating network communications, adapting tactics to multi-domain environments, and modernizing aviation assets amid complex threats. For the 3rd CAB, this mission represents both continuity in sustaining deterrence and progress in shaping tomorrow’s aviation force.

The decision authorizes the procurement of Block II aircraft in FY25 and FY26. Combined with previously approved Congressionally directed procurements, the Army will field CH-47F Block II helicopters to two Combat Aviation Brigades, modernizing the Army’s heavy-lift fleet for future large-scale combat operations.

The CH-47F Block II upgrades existing CH-47F Block I aircraft through a recapitalization process. The Block II significantly improves the CH-47F fleet, giving commanders increased payloads, extended range, and improved sustainability to create the standoff areas demanded by contested logistics environments. With an increased maximum gross weight of 54,000 pounds, the aircraft permits operational commanders to move more materiel, Soldiers, and fuel, farther and faster.

“With the Block II Chinook’s increased gross weight and increased torque available, we can carry more,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jordan Brooks, Golf Company, 6-101 GSAB’s maintenance test pilot. “Imagining just a single serial of Block II Chinooks versus Block I Chinooks, (Block II Chinooks) can carry more Soldiers and equipment, and carry them further.” For example, missions that currently require two sorties with Block I can be completed with a single Block II sortie, reducing crew exposure and accelerating operational tempo.

The Block II Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) uses a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), ensuring that the platform can adapt to technological advances. This architecture allows the integration of degraded visual environment (DVE) sensors and the introduction of semi-autonomous flight capabilities with the potential for full autonomy in the future.

The commonality with the special operations MH-47G variant lets the Army and SOCOM leverage and build on each other’s modernization efforts and further enhances efficiency. By sharing major components, the Army reduces both production costs and long-term sustainment expenses, while simplifying logistics support for units in the field.

International interest in the CH-47F BLK II aircraft continues to grow. One partner nation has committed to 60 aircraft and several other partner nations have expressed interest in acquiring Block II to strengthen their own heavy-lift capabilities. This global demand underscores the platform’s reputation as a proven workhorse with cutting-edge upgrades tailored for 21st-century warfare.

“Block II is about more than incremental improvement—it’s about ensuring the Army and the Joint Force retain a heavy-lift advantage in contested environments,” said COL Jennie Conlon, the PM of Cargo Helicopters. “With added payload, range, and digital growth capacity, the Chinook will continue to deliver for Soldiers and evolve to remain ahead of future battlefield environments.”

As the Army prepares for the future fight, the CH-47F Block II represents both continuity and transformation: retaining the trusted reliability of the Chinook while enabling the modernization required to compete and win against peer adversaries.

Story by Spc. Kameron Spencer

In the rolling hills of Sarajevo, where NATO missions converge to ensure stability and security, two specialized U.S. Army teams came together with one mission in mind: to care for soldiers and strengthen multinational readiness. Task Force Medical and Task Force Aviation not only provided essential healthcare to American troops stationed at Camp Butmir but also reinforced medical evacuation capabilities through training and partnership with regional allies.

For years, U.S. personnel at Camp Butmir faced a two-day journey to Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, to receive medical services. This deployment changed that. Task Force Medical, coordinated by Lt. Col. Bernard, Staff Sgt. LeBlanc, and 1st Sgt. Piazza brought medical personnel directly to Camp Butmir. In just two trips, the team treated nearly 20 patients, ranging from routine dental care to chronic pain management.

“The primary goal was to enhance medical readiness,” said Piazza. “Soldiers shouldn’t have to wait days to receive care. By bringing providers forward, we can meet their needs where they are.”

Logistics played a critical role in these missions, with coordination covering personnel, housing, and transportation. Lessons learned included the efficiency of air travel compared to ground transportation, as well as documentation requirements for badging and housing. Building on these experiences, planning is already underway for future missions that will expand available services, such as optometry, to further support soldiers at Camp Butmir.

Running in parallel with the medical outreach was the work of the Task Force Aviation MEDEVAC team. Under the leadership of 2nd Lt. Dustin Haubner, the aeromedical evacuation officer, the team transported providers and equipment between Camp Bondsteel and Camp Butmir while also integrating with Bosnian forces and conducting joint training with NATO partners, particularly Romanian MEDEVAC units.

“Our role wasn’t just transport,” said Haubner. “We worked with Bosnian and Romanian forces to share knowledge, demonstrate hoist operations, and build a foundation for future joint missions.”

One mission highlight was a live hoist demonstration, designed to showcase U.S. capabilities and strengthen interoperability. Training modules included both introductory and advanced sessions, focusing on aircrew familiarization and medical equipment. These exchanges gave Romanian and Bosnian partners direct exposure to U.S. MEDEVAC standards and opened the door for more complex, hands-on training in the future.

The planning required coordination across Task Force Medical, Task Force Aviation, and Camp Butmir leadership. Factors such as cross-border diplomatic clearances, hospital landing procedures, and communication protocols were all carefully considered to ensure safe and effective operations.

Together, Task Force Medical and Task Force Aviation delivered direct medical services to 18 U.S. soldiers at Camp Butmir, reduced the strain of long-distance travel for medical care, and established a framework for sustained healthcare rotations. At the same time, they advanced NATO interoperability, improved MEDEVAC readiness, and built relationships with Romanian and Bosnian partners.

“The most valuable outcome was building relationships face to face with our NATO counterparts,” said Haubner.

“Understanding each other’s capabilities ensures that when a real-world mission happens, we’re ready.”

Looking ahead, these missions in Bosnia are not one-off events but steppingstones toward long-term sustainment. Future rotations will expand medical support to include additional specialties, while the aviation MEDEVAC team continues refining coordination with multinational forces.

“Our goal is long-term sustainment,” said Piazza. “Medical support at Camp Butmir is now a proven asset, and we want to ensure continuity for the units that come after us.”

By combining medical outreach with MEDEVAC training, Task Force Medical and Task Force Aviation not only delivered care where it was needed most but also strengthened NATO’s ability to respond together. These missions brought healthcare closer to soldiers, reduced barriers to treatment, and forged bonds with NATO partners that will extend far beyond the flight line.

Story by Maj. Robert Taylor

The Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group conducted a dozen successful search and rescue missions throughout 2025.

“Our Citizen-Soldiers stand ready to move out at moment’s notice when partner agencies request help, especially when our fellow Idahoans’ welfare hangs in the balance,” said Idaho Army National Guard commander Brig. Gen. Cole Packwood. “I’m very proud of all the Soldiers involved in both of these operations and am truly impressed by the exceptional skills and teamwork it takes to execute missions like these so flawlessly.”

As of October 3, Idaho’s citizen-Soldiers assisted civilian authorities with 12 search and rescues.

In February, a UH-60 Black Hawk crew worked with the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit and the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office to locate four family members who became stuck in the snow on a hunting trip.

In May, the Idaho Army National Guard and the Boise Fire Department teamed up to rescue two rafters on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon. One rafter was trapped overnight on a boulder after the raft capsized. The Idaho Army National Guard and Boise Fire Department conduct swift water rescue training together twice a year.

Later in May, the Idaho Army National Guard assisted with the rescue of two stranded hikers near Lowman in Boise County.

Soldiers assisted the Custer County Sheriff’s Office with three search and rescue missions in just 11 days in June and July in remote mountainous locations. On July 7, a HH-60M Black Hawk crew used a hoist to rescue an injured hiker at 10,100 feet, one of the state’s highest recorded rescues. The Idaho Army National Guard’s helicopters’ large engines and hoist capabilities offer local search and rescue agencies assets not otherwise available in southern Idaho.

Soldiers assisted with three search and rescue missions in August. On one mission, the Idaho National Guard worked with Air St. Luke’s aircrew to rescue an injured hiker and his dog on Trinity Mountain.

The Idaho Army National Guard also conducted a pair of rescues in September in Boise and Custer counties. In October, a HH-60 Black Hawk crew assisted with the rescue of an injured 55-year-old hunter in a remote location in Idaho County.

Story by Lt. Col. Cain Claxton

POZNAN, Poland – V Corps and Poland’s 1st Aviation Brigade conducted their third Polish Apache Initiative Summit Aug. 27-29 at Poland’s Air Force Training Center near Ustka, Poland, and Drawsko Combat Training Center near Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland.

Since 2024, Poland and U.S. Army aviators have worked together to establish Poland’s Apache aviation program through a series of meetings called Polish Apache Initiative Summits. After Poland signed a procurement deal for 96 Apaches in 2024, the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade saw an opportunity to help Poland accelerate the integration of the new capability when the helicopters are delivered in 2028.

“The Polish Apache Initiative provides the Polish Army with training events and leader engagements that will successfully integrate the AH-64 Apache helicopter into their military structure,” said U.S. Army Maj. Matthew Conner, director of aviation at V Corps Forward headquarters at Camp Kosciusko, Poland.

The summit this week involved two live-fire exercises followed by discussion between members of the U.S. and Poland Apache aviation communities.

At Ustka Range, V Corp’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade successfully fired two Spike missiles from a AH-64Ev6 Apache Guardian helicopter, marking the first time the missile system has been tested in Europe. Spike is a non-line of sight missile system capable of engaging targets over 30 kilometers away. It can be mounted on multiple ground, marine and aviation platforms.

Observers from several countries, including senior military representatives and defense officials, witnessed the successful operational integration firsthand. For Poland’s 1st Aviation Brigade, the demonstration highlighted what possibilities are in the future for its Apaches.

The SPIKE NLOS missile’s successful integration on the AH-64E Apache emphasizes the system’s capability to meet evolving mission needs, particularly in maritime and beyond-line-of-sight scenarios. The event underscored the growing strategic cooperation between the United States and Poland, further enhancing collective deterrence capabilities along NATO’s eastern flank.

This joint campaign not only demonstrates current operational effectiveness but also highlights the potential future direction for integration of SPIKE NLOS missiles onto Poland’s own AH-64E Apache fleet, enhancing national and regional defense capabilities.

Meanwhile, at Drawsko Combat Training Center, Poland’s 12th Mechanized Division integrated Apache air support from the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade. The air-ground integration live-fire exercise demonstrated tactical capability and readiness between two NATO Allies, Conner said.

“The (air-ground integration live-fire exercise) provided a live-demonstration of the utilization of the AH-64D Apache helicopter supporting a ground unit in a defensive operation,” Conner said. “In addition to the AH-64D demonstration, a tactical forward arming and refueling point will also be implemented that will display expeditionary arming and refueling in a combined arms fight.”

Afterward, Polish and American Apache aviators met at DCTC and Utska ranges to discuss the live-fire exercises and other topics related to Poland’s Apache program.

Story by Leslie Herlick

FORT RUCKER, Ala. — In a bold move to modernize battlefield capabilities and close critical training gaps, the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE) has launched its inaugural Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course (UALC) at Fort Rucker. Designed to rapidly train soldiers on the lethal employment of small UAS (SUAS), including First Person View (FPV) drone operations. The course lays the foundation for standardized UAS employment across warfighting functions, redefining how small UAS platforms are used in reconnaissance, fires, and maneuver operations.

Maj. Wolf Amacker, the chief of the AVCOE Directorate of Training and Doctrine UAS and Tactics Branch, is one of many personnel at AVCOE who played a key role in developing the course.

“This is the first time the Army has done this in a TRADOC setting, coordinating between three difference COEs,” Amacker said. “We’re helping to train the most people, the quickest, on FPV systems that are having a real impact on the battlefield.

Capt. Rachel Martin, the course director, was tasked with building the program from scratch just 90 days ago. With a background as an intelligence officer in an attack helicopter battalion and an air cavalry squadron, air cavalry troop commander, and Gray Eagle company commander during a 2023 deployment, Martin brought deep operational experience to the challenge.

The three-week course begins in the classroom, where students use commercial off-the-shelf drones and simulation software to develop FPV flight skills. After 20 to 25 hours of simulator time, identified as the proficiency threshold through interviews with allied forces, students transition to live flight exercises at the Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) site.

Instruction also includes fire support integration, with Fires Center personnel teaching students how to adjust fire using drone video feeds in the Call for Fire Trainer.

“An 11B [infantryman], 13F [fire support specialist] out there with a SUAS calling for fire and adjusting based on drone video is a relevant skill for the current and future battlefield,” Amacker said. “This may be the first time our students are introduced and trained to do that.”
This training not only enhances lethality but also demonstrates how small UAS platforms can support traditional fire missions in dynamic environments.

The course currently hosts 28 students from across the Army, including infantry soldiers, cavalry scouts, 15W and 15E aviation personnel, and warrant officers from the 150U career field. Participants were selected based on rank and certification as SUAS master trainers, and Transformation in Contact Units. Cadre from the 2-13th and 1-145th Aviation Regiments at Fort Rucker, along with additional aviation personnel, are supporting instruction.

Observers from the Maneuver and Fires Centers of Excellence are evaluating the course for potential adaptation, providing feedback and implementation. The goal is to empower operational units to create their own basic qualification programs while Fort Rucker evolves into the hub for advanced UAS training.

“Aviation becomes that central integrator,” Amacker said. “We’re helping all the warfighting functions and branches get into this space. Maneuver and Fires care about how SUAS helps them engage targets and keep their operators alive, while we also care about how sustainment and MI use small UAS to fulfill their responsibilities.”

The course is designed as both a resident program and eventually a mobile training package (MTP). The accompanying Training Support Package (TSP) will allow units a way to conduct basic FPV training independently, while Fort Rucker will host advanced iterations focused on munitions, diverse UAS platforms, and tactical employment.

“Right now, we’re doing basic things,” Amacker said, highlighting that this is the pilot course, emphasizing the tasks and academics being taught are what units out in the force are struggling with right now.

Students also learn to manufacture and repair drone components using 3D printing. Instruction covers resin, filament, and carbon fiber printers, CAD software, and STL files. The course aims to build a centralized repository of print files for students to take back to their units.

“Eventually, we want students to build and test their own FPV bodies,” Amacker said. “We’re teaching and learning from the force on what’s possible and how to sustain these systems in the field.

The long-term vision for the course aligns with Fort Rucker’s broader innovation goals. Martin hopes to integrate the program with the post’s emerging innovation lab, creating a collaborative hub for data sharing and tactical experimentation.

“This course is a catch-up,” Martin said. “We’re behind globally, and this is our aggressive attempt to close that gap.”

The course also collects performance data on five different drone systems, tracking variables such as crash rates, environmental resilience, and operational effectiveness. This data will inform future procurement and training decisions across the Army.

Designed to evolve with battlefield needs, the UALC will adapt its curriculum as new technologies and tactics emerge, ensuring soldiers remain at the forefront of unmanned systems employment.
“This is constantly changing,” Amacker said. “We’re building something that can grow with the force.”

Martin emphasized the challenges of launching a drone training program from scratch.

“Most of my peers, including myself until 90 days ago, didn’t know how to do this,” she said. “Now we know what it takes, how many people, how much equipment, how much money, and we are sharing this information already with our partners out in the force.”

The pilot iteration is already producing results. Soldiers are eager to learn, and many report a lack of resources and expertise at their home units. The hope is that graduates will return to their formations equipped to train others and establish sustainable programs.

Ultimately, the course aims to empower soldiers to return to their units as trainers and innovators. Many participants are self-taught hobbyists or informal experts. This program, however, provides structure, certification, and a pathway to build unit-level drone programs.

Future iterations will expand into advanced tactics, including one-way attacks using purpose-built FPV drones. By February, Martin envisions students employing low-cost systems to prosecute targets with precision, an ambitious leap toward integrating UAS as a lethal, scalable weapon system.

“We’re creating operators who are not only lethal but also survivable. sUAS operators are the most sought-after high pay-off target on the battlefield right now,” Martin said. “I am very aware that my team has been entrusted with developing solutions for a critical need in emerging Army tactics.”

SFC Jeremy Charm, a 15W UAS Operator with the AVCOE Directorate of Evaluations and Standardization and primary flight instructor for the UALC said, “Teaching our students to know under what circumstance to use these systems to achieve commander’s intent and how to tactically employ them and survive post engagement is our ultimate goal.”

As the Army continues to modernize its approach to warfare, the UAS Lethality Course at Fort Rucker stands as a bold step toward integrating unmanned systems across all domains, and empowering soldiers with the tools and training to dominate the modern battlefield.

Story by Cheryl Marino

As the battlefield evolves, so must the aircraft that support and protect Soldiers on the ground. The Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) aims to do just that—ushering in a new era of speed, range and adaptability. Backed by cutting-edge digital engineering, FLRAA isn’t just a new rotorcraft, it’s a leap forward in how the Army plans, flies and fights in tomorrow’s conflicts.

“It’s a game-changing capability in terms of speed and range,” said Col. Jeffrey Poquette, FLRAA project manager at Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aviation. He characterized the next-generation tiltrotor assault aircraft (designed by Bell Textron) as “twice as far, twice as fast” at the annual Association of the U.S. Army Global Force Symposium, held in Huntsville, Alabama, in March 2025. The implementation of digital engineering will be “a digital engineering pathfinder for the Army,” serving as a model for how digital engineering can be adopted and implemented by the Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition enterprise to improve efficiency, reduce costs and accelerate the development and test of capabilities. The challenge, he said, is that this is new territory, but the level of insight that the government gets into the design is unprecedented and “what we get from that is ensuring that we build the right thing.”

Gone are the days of building something, setting it aside and forgetting it. Digital engineering allows the Army to leverage the power of technology to create a design digitally and determine the impact of changes to that design prior to bending metal.

“Digital engineering isn’t magic,” said Poquette. “It’s just a really deep look in a common environment where we have a single source of truth. We never don’t know what the design is today. I can take my phone out right now and look at the design and see where we are … that’s powerful.”

Poquette said when prototypes are built and tested, often things are found that have to be fixed. Some of those fixes could be big, some could be expensive, and they inevitably will extend the timeline of the acquisition because the test program gets much longer.

“I’m not even going to say that digital engineering is faster upfront. It’s an investment in time. It’s an investment in intellectual capital. But when we build the prototypes we’re going to be so confident that anything we need to fix should be small, should not be expensive, and that we can quickly fix those prototypes, continue on with the test program and get the capability into Soldiers’ hands as soon as possible,” Poquette stated. “Together [with industry] collaboratively, we’re going to build the aircraft that meets the Army’s requirements and is truly going to change the nature of the assault aviation platform.”

FLRAA COMES TO FRUITION
The science and technology (S&T) effort behind FLRAA began in 2013 as the Joint Multi-Role Tech Demonstrator program, which was aimed at proving out a platform that could fly twice as far, twice as fast and be sized appropriately for the Army. As the S&T effort transitioned to an acquisition program, the question became how to approach the program differently and succeed.

“We went and looked at published lessons learned from various programs, not just Army, but across the DOD. We identified a theme that [the] lack of upfront systems engineering attributed to increased cost and schedule on many programs,” explained Michelle Gilbert, technical management division chief at PEO for Aviation FLRAA Project Management Office (PMO). She and her team were then tasked with developing a strategy that would ensure rigorous upfront systems engineering while supporting an accelerated program schedule beyond historical timelines. “That’s what initiated the development of our digital engineering strategy. We found that if we did some upfront investment in digital engineering, it would give us some of the tools that we needed to help support those two objectives.”

Initially, a technology demonstrator (constructed as a proof of concept) was built to demonstrate “twice as far, twice as fast” capabilities, but it was not fully compliant with all requirements. The FLRAA program is currently executing a detailed design to ensure that the FLRAA system meets all requirements (survivability, sustainability, integrated mission systems, etc.).

As part of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, Gilbert said, Bell Textron will build six prototype aircraft, as well as two “limited user” test aircraft—the prototypes will be used to verify that the system meets performance and airworthiness requirements and to validate operational effectiveness, suitability, safety and survivability. There are also virtual prototypes, which are like aircraft simulators that accommodate a pilot and co-pilot, with surrounding screens that emulate the view and behavior of the system itself. These virtual prototypes are used to help inform the design as well as the development of operator tactics, training and procedures.

THE DAWN OF NEW DIGITAL
Digital engineering enhances FLRAA missions by enabling faster, smarter and safer operations. This includes the use of model-based systems engineering tools like Cameo—a collaborative environment for defining, tracking and visualizing all aspects of a system through models and diagrams. Additionally, 3D models support design, manufacturing and assembly processes, streamlining development from concept to execution.

Gilbert explained that FLRAA is using model-based systems engineering to create the digital models of the systems architecture and requirements, merging them into a digital twin that defines the system, demonstrates its behavior and predicts performance. “[This is] establishing a digital thread which captures the relationship between system and program data. The digital thread provides the PMO, stakeholders and Bell [Textron] with a better understanding of the system. We are also utilizing a collaborative digital environment to enable near real-time access to this data.”

The performance models are used to emulate and simulate the performance of the FLRAA aircraft to understand the behavior and tweak flight control laws (modifications to the flight control system’s algorithms, which govern how pilot inputs translate into aircraft control surface movements).

“We can also use it to help ensure that from a user interface standpoint everything is correct and suitable before we go and actually build the system, [and] we’re doing all of this digitally,” she explained. “We have a lot of digital models that represent our system that have allowed us to reduce the risk before we go and bend metal on our prototypes.”

The digital engineering strategy, Gilbert noted, is incremental. She and her team are currently focused on using digital engineering to design and document the system during development. As the program progresses, these efforts will expand into testing, eventually incorporating sensor data from the aircraft and linking it to various enterprise sustainment tools. For now, the priority remains on building a solid digital foundation before moving into test and evaluation.

“Using our digital environment to link test data together with the system design of the aircraft can help make the verification process more efficient. It can help correlate information together, where before there wasn’t a linkage between information, and provide easier access to all supporting program data,” Gilbert said. “For our stakeholders who are trying to qualify our system, that’s very helpful. And then our digital engineering efforts will expand beyond that to support sustainment. Conceptually, every single aircraft in the field could have its own digital representation.”

Gilbert noted that one outcome they’ve already encountered from using the digital tools is that it forces both Bell and the U.S. government “to have a deeper understanding of the system and how onboard systems interact with each other.”

Additionally, the digital tools have enabled the team to create linkages to all of the data. Before this, Gilbert explained, “we were dealing with siloed pieces of information, so you weren’t able to make those correlations. By utilizing these tools, we’re finding things like architecture concerns that we may not have found before, just because now it’s all connected and it’s easier for us to consume and assess if the design meets our objectives.”

Crews also benefit from immersive virtual training, accelerating readiness for unfamiliar or high-risk scenarios. This makes FLRAA more agile, reliable and adaptable to the demands of future battlefields.

“We have a virtual reality [VR] capability that’s here in our office and it’s updated regularly to reflect the system under design,” Gilbert said. “We have monitors set up; we have the VR headsets. It doesn’t take a lot of infrastructure and that capability is there for us to utilize whenever we want it. This is truly a revolutionary capability that informs engineers or logisticians and any stakeholders who need to understand the system better.”

During system design, acquisition engineers may not fully grasp design specifics, such as how the hydraulic system will fit into the system, Gilbert said. “It doesn’t exist yet in physical form, but we are able to go in, put on a virtual reality headset and they can see exactly where it is in the current design. Our engineers or maintainers can look at it and say, ‘I’m never going to be able to maintain that system with the way it is now.’ We’re able to catch things like that earlier and influence a design change.”

GETTING THE MOSA FOR YOUR MONEY
While digital engineering provides the tools to design, simulate and evolve systems faster, a Modular Open Systems Approach, or MOSA, ensures those systems are built in a way that allows rapid, flexible upgrades.

According to Gilbert, the MOSA is an approach to achieving certain objectives, not just through open standards but by following specific design processes to ensure the architecture supports those goals. She and her team developed an architecture framework to guide how the system should be built and analyzed to confirm it meets MOSA objectives. Examples are enabling third-party upgrades without full reliance on the prime contractor or rapidly fielding a capability update with minimal delay. The framework defines these expectations and the prime is required to comply.

“The other thing that we’re doing is we put in a requirement for an infrastructure on our aircraft that we call the digital backbone. The digital backbone is the onboard network that’s responsible for all data exchanges between different components. Any component integrated on the system must follow the defined open standards,” she said. “And what that does is it allows for easier integration by not having to update multiple systems on the aircraft when upgrading a capability.” This concept is similar to the MOSA plug-and-play concept.

MOSA offers a modular and scalable solution for aircraft upgrades, eliminating the integration complexities associated with legacy systems. This approach significantly reduces downtime and modification work by enabling the rapid installation and interchangeability of components.

“For FLRAA, we ensure we have robust processes and requirements in place to design and analyze our architecture and the onboard digital backbone. This, coupled with a robust intellectual property strategy that ensures the right level of data rights are acquired by the PMO, summarizes the FLRAA open systems approach,” she explained. “To ensure that, we do have an open architecture on our platform.”

This, she said, will make it easier and more affordable to upgrade and sustain, with the ability to do some of that sustainment on the government side or with third parties. Because of how the system is architected, there’s less reliance on the prime contractor, which can help with sustainment costs.

SOLDIER TESTING AND TIMELINES
Soldier testing and feedback are crucial when implementing new digital technology to ensure it meets real-world operational needs. Direct input from end users helps identify usability issues, improve functionality and ensure the technology enhances mission effectiveness and Soldier readiness.

For the FLRAA program, there are two ways of achieving Soldier feedback. One is through special user evaluations, or Soldier touch points, using mockups of the aircraft to ensure optimal seat configurations and whether users can egress and ingress from the aircraft safely, etc. A user evaluation in spring 2025 observed how Soldiers conduct mission planning on the system, which will impact the software requirements for mission planning.

Another Soldier touch point is through virtual prototype simulation.

“We’re using the virtual prototype to help us get user feedback that can either support changing the user interfaces, our flight control laws, etc.,” Gilbert said. “We’re planning on using the virtual prototypes as part of special user evaluations all the way through our development stage. This will support iterative user feedback through development until we have physical aircraft prototypes.”

CONCLUSION
The FLRAA program has come a long way since April 2024, when FLRAA took a hybrid approach with a preliminary design using a middle tier of acquisition pathway and developed virtual prototypes. In July 2024, at Milestone B, it transitioned to a major capability acquisition program and program of record.

“We’re going to be focused on the detailed design in the near term, but our acquisition strategy is such that we don’t wait to complete our detailed design before we begin building our prototypes. We deliberately did that when we set up our acquisition strategy so that once a subsystem reaches the appropriate level of maturity, it can immediately move into build and assembly,” Gilbert said. “Even though the design and supporting analysis may not be fully documented, we can begin building those subsystems with an informed level of risk. This helps support schedule objectives while maintaining rigor.”

Currently, the Army is scheduled to begin equipping the first Army unit in fiscal year 2030 and completing the first unit equipped in fiscal year 2031. “Our current focus is on getting the design right, which is crucial for successfully prototyping and future production,” Gilbert said. “We are building and testing prototypes to make a production decision by Milestone C, which is currently scheduled in 2028.”

“It [development] takes a few years, especially on an aviation platform because there’s a lot we have to do from an airworthiness perspective to ensure it’s safe,” Gilbert said. “We have a lot that we have to do before a Soldier can begin operating the system. That’s why using things like the virtual prototype and other things like mockups are so important to us—because it’s a way of getting them in early while we’re still proving out the airworthiness of the aircraft itself.”

For more information, go to https://www.army.mil/PEOAviation.

CHERYL MARINO provides contract support to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a writer and editor for Army AL&T magazine and TMGL, LLC. Before USAASC, she served as a technical report editor at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Center at Picatinny Arsenal for five years. She holds a B.A. in communications from Seton Hall University and has more than 25 years of writing and editing experience in both the government and private sectors.

Story by Maj. Ryan Finnegan

A HH60M Blackhawk medical evacuation helicopter of the Montana Army National Guard’s 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion rescued three hikers from the Princess Lake area of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness on August 17, safely transporting them to receive medical attention.

After getting a mission request for Guard assistance early Sunday morning, the aircraft departed from the Billings Army Limited Aviation Support Facility at 7:50 a.m. The hikers, suffering from hypothermia and illness, were recovered and transported to Columbus to receive further medical care. The helicopter returned to Billings by 9:20 a.m.

The crew onboard the aircraft included pilots Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zach Lundgren and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Cameron Olson, hoist operator Sgt. Sydney Stephenson, hoist rider Sgt. Justin Asher and flight medic Sgt. Patrick Northrup. Billings Fire Department Paramedic Rob Gersbach provided additional on-board medical support.

“The entirety of the rescue operation was executed seamlessly due to the dedication and level of expertise of all personnel involved,” said Northrup. “It reflects a tremendous amount of credit and pride to not only the Montana National Guard, but also the flight crews of the 1-189th and Billings Fire Department.”

This rescue marks the 5th search and rescue mission performed by Montana Army National Guard helicopters stationed in Billings this year. Since the facility in Billings began operations in January 2023, rescues have included a hunter stranded on an island in the Yellowstone River in December 2023 and a hiker who suffered a heart attack and was rescued near Albino Lake in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in July 2024.

Story by Cameron Porter

POWIDZ, Poland – Poland’s 33rd Army Prepositioned Stocks Battalion (33rd APS Bn.) at the Powidz Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 (APS-2) worksite in Poland received some valuable training on Supply and Support Activity (SSA) operations and Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-Army) from a small team of U.S. Army automated logistics specialists from the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division (1st AD CAB), recently.

Invited to the APS-2 worksite by the commander of Army Field Support Battalion-Poland (AFSBn-Poland), the 1st AD CAB Soldiers spent a couple of days with their Polish counterparts in August explaining the systems and processes used when receiving deliveries of supplies and Class 9 repair parts, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stephen Valentine, 1st AD CAB SSA accountable officer.

“The main focus was training them on systems and processes and GCSS-Army familiarization,” Valentine said. “The Polish service members at the APS-2 site are using the system, now. Only a few of them currently have access, but they do use the GCSS-Army system under the supervision of Army civilians.”

GCSS-Army is a web-based automated logistics system of record that focuses on property book actions and supply and logistics management operations. It serves as the Army’s property accountability and financial system of record and can manage large volumes of transactions, providing current item location updates while interfacing with the General Funds Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) for financial data tracking and feedback.

Valentine said before he and his team came out to the Powidz APS-2 worksite, he spoke with the AFSBn-Poland commander, who has mission command of the site, and the site’s accountable officer to get a clear understanding of what the training should focus on. From there, Valentine and his platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Javon Hines, provided that information to his team who conducted the training.

“It was train the trainer, within my team,” said Valentine. “I provided them with all the information they needed along with my guidance. The Soldiers then conducted the training, and my platoon sergeant and I provided oversight. They did a really good job.”

Valentine said the Polish service members from the 33rd APS Bn. were very receptive. The ones who spoke English well acted as translators and “were able to walk the other guys through the training as we were teaching it.”

“We would show them the process and let them go through it a couple of times to get their reps in,” said Valentine, who added that he had never visited an APS worksite before and was thoroughly impressed with the Powidz site and the team there.

The Powidz APS-2 worksite encompasses 650,000 square feet of humidity-controlled warehouse space, plus a vehicle maintenance facility and various supporting structures and houses an entire modernized armored brigade combat team’s worth of APS-2 tactical vehicles and equipment sets.

AFSBn-Poland operates under the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, which oversees four battalions in Europe. The Powidz site is one of six APS-2 worksites across the continent, with others located in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy.

The 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program alleviates many of the deployment requirements typically associated with sending major combat units to Europe from the U.S. By providing turn-key power projection APS-2 packages ready to employ at a moment’s notice, the 405th AFSB’s APS-2 program is a key component of U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s power projection, warfighter readiness and logistics support missions.

The 405th AFSB is the premier logistics integrator and synchronizer for U.S. European Command, enabling readiness solutions to ‘Support the Warrior’ by operationalizing U.S. Army Materiel Command capabilities and delivering readiness within the U.S. Army Europe and Africa areas of responsibility at the point of need.

The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging U.S. Army Materiel Command’s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website at www.afsbeurope.army.mil and the official Facebook site at www.facebook.com/405thAFSB.