The US Defense Department has identified the competitors for the new vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

D???ns? A?v?nc?? R?s???ch P??j?cts A??nc? (DARPA) h?s ???lic?ll? ??cl???? th? winnin? c?m??tit??s ??? Ph?s? 1A ?? its ?l?nn?? S???? ?n? R?nw?? In????n??nt T?chn?l??i?s (SPRINT) ???j?ct, AKA th? SPRINT X-Pl?n?.

Ann??nc?? ?n th? DARPA w??sit? ?n th? 1st ?? N?v?m??? 2023, th? ch?s?n ??w will ??si?n ?n? ??il? ? ???t?t??? v??tic?l t?k???? ?n? l?n?in? ?i?c???t (VTOL) “t? ??m?nst??t? th? k?? t?chn?l??i?s ?n? int????t?? c?nc??ts th?t ?n??l? ? t??ns???m?ti?n?l c?m?in?ti?n ?? ?i?c???t s???? ?n? ??nw?? in????n??nc?.”

F??? c?m??ni?s ?nt??

“Th? ??j?ctiv? ?? th? SPRINT ??????m is t? ??si?n, ??il?, c??ti??, ?n? ?l? ?n X-?l?n? t? ??m?nst??t? ?n??lin? t?chn?l??i?s ?n? int????t?? c?nc??ts n?c?ss??? ??? ? t??ns???m?ti?n?l c?m?in?ti?n ?? ?i?c???t s???? ?n? ??nw?? in????n??nc? ??? th? n?xt ??n???ti?n ?? ?i? m??ilit? ?l?t???ms,” ?x?l?in?? DARPA’s in ?n ???ici?l ???ss ??l??s?.

As T?? W?? ??ints ??t, DARPA h?s ???n ???tic?l??l? ???sc?i?tiv? ????t th? ????i??m?nts ??? th? SPRINT ??m?nst??t??. DARPA ??m?n?s th?t th? ?i?c???t m?st ?? ??l? t? ???ch ? t?? s???? ?? ?t l??st 400 kn?ts (460 m?h/740 km/h) ?t ?ltit???s ??tw??n 15,000-30,000 ???t (4,500-9,000 m?t??s) ?n? h?v? ? ???l??? c???cit? ?? ?t l??st 1,000 ???n?s (454 k?). It sh??l? ?ls? ?? sc?l??l? ??? ?i?????nt missi?n t???s ?n? h?v? ? ?li?ht tim? ?? ?t l??st 90 min?t?s, with ? ??n?? ?? ?t l??st 230 mil?s (370 km).

Th? ?????lsi?n ?n? c?nt??l m?th??s ????i??m?nts ??? n?t s??ci?i?? ??? th? ??m?nst??t?? ?i?c???t. H?w?v??, it n???s t? h?v? th? c????iliti?s ?? hi?h-s???? c??isin?, h?v??in? in ??st??? ?nvi??nm?nts, ?n? l??nchin? ?? l?n?in? ?n ?n???????? s????c?s s?ch ?s ???kin? l?ts, hi?hw??s, ?? ?i?l?s.

S? ???, N?ws Atl?s ?????ts, th? ch?s?n c?m??ni?s h?v? ??c?iv?? US$15 milli?n in ??n?in? t? ??v?l?? th?i? c?nc??ts ??? Ph?s? 1A. Th? s?l?ct?? c?m??ni?s incl??? A????? Fli?ht Sci?nc?s, B?ll T?xt??n, N??th??? G??mm?n A???n??tic S?st?ms, ?n? Pi?s?cki Ai?c???t C??????ti?n. Ov?? th? n?xt ??w m?nths, this sh??tlist will ?? whittl?? ??wn, ?n? ? ?in?l winn?? will ?? ch?s?n t? ???c??? with ??il?in? th? ?i?c???t. Th? ?i?c???t is ?x??ct?? t? t?k? ?li?ht in 2027. Th? t?st ??????m is s?t t? c?ncl??? in 2028.

As ??? th? ch?s?n c?m??ni?s, A????? Fli?ht Sci?nc?s, ? s??si?i??? ?? B??in?, h?s ??l??s?? ? sk?tch ?? th? ?l?n??? win? ???? sh??? it ?l?ns t? ?s? ??? its ??c?min? ???j?ct. B?ll T?xt??n is ??v?l??in? ? n?w h???i? ?i?c???t ???j?ct c?ll?? Hi?h-S???? V??tic?l T?k???? ?n? L?n?in? (HSVTOL). This ?i?c???t c?m?in?s th? v??tic?l t?k???? ?n? l?n?in? (VTOL) ?n? h?v??in? c????iliti?s ?? th? V-22 “Os????” with ? hi?h-s???? j?t ?????lsi?n s?st?m ??? ??st c??isin?.

Th? ?i?c???t’s ??t??s c?n ?ls? ?? ??l??? ??ck t? ????c? ????, m?kin? it m??? ???ici?nt. B?ll T?xt??n ?????s?? this c?nc??t ? ??w ????s ??? ?s ???t ?? th? USAF AFWERX HSVTOL ??????m, ?n? this is, s? ???, th? m?st lik?l? winn?? ?? th? ??????m. B?t, ?? c???s?, w? sh??l?n’t “c??nt ??t chick?ns” j?st ??t.

On? will l??v?

It is ?nc??t?in wh?t Pi?s?cki ?n? N??th??? G??mm?n h?v? in st???. Still, th??? is ? ??ssi?ilit? th?t th?? mi?ht c?ll?????t? ?n ? n?w ?l?n???-win? ?i?c???t ???j?ct th?t is s????-???ici?nt. N??th??? is c????ntl? w??kin? with J?tZ??? ?n? Sc?l?? C?m??sit?s ?n s?ch ? ???j?ct, which c??l? ??t?nti?ll? ?cc?mm???t? s?m? h?l?s ?n? ??ns in th? ?i????m? i? th?? inc??????t? th?m.