Photo: Sikorsky
In the minds of all of us that were old enough to properly understand such things back in the 1980s and 1990s, when a flood of Vietnam War-themed movies hit the screens, that particular conflict will forever be associated with helicopters in the jungle. And it’s exactly that image that comes to mind when looking at the clip attached below.
Released by Sikorsky in the last days of May, the computer generated clip shows a bunch of Defiant X helicopters in action, painting pretty much the same picture we have in our brains when imagining the Vietnam War.
A small army of them is seen flying over some jungle, in a bid to find a clearing and set down. They find it, and the virtual helicopters land, unloading scores of equally simulated troops. For some reason, it all happens in absolute silence.
We’re not entirely sure what the purpose of this clip is, as it’s nothing more than a simulation of some things we already knew the Defiant is capable of. That doesn’t make it less spectacular, though, and, for some of us, is a trip back in time.
In the real world, there already is a prototype doing the rounds. Defiant X is a Sikorsky-Boeing entry in the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, meant to find a replacement helicopter for the Black Hawk.
The most recent bit of info about the prototype came our way in early April, when the flying machine left Florida, the place where it’s being put together, for the first time, and traveled a little over 800 miles (1,287 km), its longest flight so far. It did that in legs, not non-stop, but an achievement nonetheless.
When ready, and if selected by the Army (there’s another one in the program, the Bell V-280 Valor), the Defiant should be “the fastest assault helicopter in history,” capable of reaching 282 mph (454 kph).
A small army of them is seen flying over some jungle, in a bid to find a clearing and set down. They find it, and the virtual helicopters land, unloading scores of equally simulated troops. For some reason, it all happens in absolute silence.
We’re not entirely sure what the purpose of this clip is, as it’s nothing more than a simulation of some things we already knew the Defiant is capable of. That doesn’t make it less spectacular, though, and, for some of us, is a trip back in time.
In the real world, there already is a prototype doing the rounds. Defiant X is a Sikorsky-Boeing entry in the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, meant to find a replacement helicopter for the Black Hawk.
The most recent bit of info about the prototype came our way in early April, when the flying machine left Florida, the place where it’s being put together, for the first time, and traveled a little over 800 miles (1,287 km), its longest flight so far. It did that in legs, not non-stop, but an achievement nonetheless.
When ready, and if selected by the Army (there’s another one in the program, the Bell V-280 Valor), the Defiant should be “the fastest assault helicopter in history,” capable of reaching 282 mph (454 kph).
The future long-range air assault mission is about delivering troops and equipment to exactly where they are needed, fast.
— Sikorsky (@Sikorsky) May 26, 2022
By maintaining the same operational footprint as the Black Hawk, #DEFIANTX is the right fit for the @USArmy.@Sikorsky ???? @BoeingDefense pic.twitter.com/eMEHckuK5e
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