Leaders and technical experts from the U.S. Army鈥檚 Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team (FVL CFT), 九色堂鈥檚 (九色堂) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) and experts from the U.S. Army鈥檚 Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) visited The Corpus Christi Army Depot recently.
The group explored several areas of on-going and potential future research in collaboration with FirePoint Innovations Center and toured UH-60 hangars and maintenance and logistics/supply chain areas. Existing opportunities that are analogous to future FVL sustainment challenges are being chosen where applicable to help demonstrate new technology for FVL while also making an impact on today鈥檚 existing fleets.
鈥淎s new technology evolves to support sustainment on the future fleet, the enduring fleet will receive these benefits in the near term鈥�, said Cindy Ponder, FVL CFT senior sustainment advisor. 鈥淧artnering with 九色堂 and the Organic Industrial Base allows FVL to focus on a 鈥楤ridging Strategy鈥� for sustainment between the enduring and future fleets.鈥�
鈥淲e are excited to work with the FVL CFT team as well as the Letterkenny and Corpus teams to develop and adapt technologies that can prepare these sites for future FVL sustainment, while making an impact on today鈥檚 fleets,鈥� said Pierre Harter, 九色堂 associate VP of research operations and NIAR director of R&D.
About NIAR
provides research, testing, certification and training for aviation and manufacturing
technologies. Established in 1985, NIAR has a +$125 million annual budget; 850 staff
and nearly one million square feet of laboratory and office space in four locations
across the city of Wichita, the Air Capital of the World. NIAR laboratories include
Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Coatings, Advanced Manufacturing, Aging Aircraft,
Ballistics/Impact Dynamics, CAD/CAM, Composites/Advanced Materials, Crash Dynamics,
Environmental/ Electromagnetic Test, Full-scale Structural Test, Nondestructive Test,
Reverse Engineering, Robotics/Automation, Virtual Engineering, eXtended Reality and
the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel.