Bell Textron Inc. is fast-tracking development of the MV-75, the U.S. Army’s next-generation long-range assault aircraft, as the company ramps up investment across the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) region to support production.

By Jarryd Sinovich

The Army selected Bell in 2022 for its Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, a contract valued at $1.3 billion in the near term and potentially $70 billion over decades. The MV-75 is set to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk and introduce advanced tiltrotor technology to Army aviation.

To meet an accelerated 2028 delivery timeline, Bell is expanding facilities across DFW. These include a $20 million Drive Systems Test Lab in Grand Prairie, a Weapons Systems Integration Lab in Arlington, and a $632 million plant in AllianceTexas that will manufacture transmissions and rotor blades. The aircraft itself will be assembled in Amarillo, with more than 1,000 Bell employees already working on engineering and manufacturing development.

“We are adopting a ‘soldiers on the factory floor’ approach to accelerate production and prepare the Army for tiltrotor operations earlier than ever before,” said Ryan Ehinger, Bell’s senior vice president and FLRAA program director.

Bell has already delivered two digital “twin” simulators to the Army, giving pilots early exposure to the MV-75’s cockpit and flight characteristics. Army aviators are also training on MV-22 Ospreys to familiarize themselves with tiltrotor dynamics.

Textron Inc., Bell’s parent company, reported $1 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 28% year-over-year, with growth driven largely by MV-75 development.

Beyond FLRAA, Bell is pursuing other military opportunities, including a bid to replace the Army’s UH-72 Lakota training fleet with its Bell 505 helicopters, and a DARPA contract to design an experimental aircraft capable of speeds up to 450 knots.