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Sikorsky and Boeing’s Defiant X aims to replace aging models like the AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and the UH-60 Blackhawk.
The Defiant X will be equipped with an optionally-piloted flight control system to enable more reliable and safer operations in low altitude and crowded conditions. Using Sikorsky’s X2 Technology, the Defiant X would operate at high speeds while maintaining low-speed handling qualities, increasing maneuverability and survivability in high-threat environments.
Its coaxial rotors make hovering and forward flights extremely smooth while enabling the aircraft to land and take off from confined spaces. Moreover, the aircraft can support twelve combat troops or 3,680 lbs of cargo. Its composite fuselage reduces vibrations and limits corrosion in harsh environments.
Last February, the two companies settled on the new HTS7500 engine to power the Defiant X, a derivative of the engine used in the SB-1 Defiant.