The US Navy has begun searching for replacements for its manned and unmanned vertical take-off aircraft for naval vessels.
The Future Vertical Lift (Maritime Strike) or FVL (MS) program aims to develop and procure a “Family of Systems” (FoS) comprising manned and unmanned aircraft to currently operate onboard combat vessels to replace aircraft used by the US Navy (USN). The term “Maritime Strike” refers to the combat and combat support role these machines play.
The USN's current VTOL aircraft are the MH-60R Romeo and MH-60S Sierra Sea Hawk manned helicopters and the MQ-8B/MQ-8C Fire Scout rotorcraft drones. Both Sea Hawk variants are multi-role aircraft. The Romeo is optimized primarily for combat missions and is the cornerstone of the Navy's helicopter operations. The Sierra performs missions such as mine countermeasures (MCM), special operations forces (SOF) support, anti-ship and surface warfare, and search and rescue missions. The Fire Scout is used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition (ISR&T), communications relay and supply missions. The smaller MQ-8B Fire Scout is currently being retired. The larger MQ-8C variant was introduced in 2019 and is expected to reach the end of its useful life in the 2030s. The Navy is also expected to retire both Sea Hawk variants in the 2030s.
Capability requirements for ATCOs (MS)
The FVL (MS) program was initiated on November 8, 2019, when the Pentagon identified the need for cost-effective VTOL aircraft to replace the MH-60R/S and MQ-8C fleet.
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