{"id":56032,"date":"2019-03-27T02:23:54","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T02:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/27\/armys-23b-wish-list-would-speed-up-future-helo-buy-boost-lethality-efforts\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:08:12","slug":"armys-23b-wish-list-would-speed-up-future-helo-buy-boost-lethality-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/global-force-symposium\/2019\/03\/27\/armys-23b-wish-list-would-speed-up-future-helo-buy-boost-lethality-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Army\u2019s $2.3B wish list would speed up future helo buy, boost lethality and more"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. \u2014 The U.S. Army\u2019s $2.3 billion unfunded requirements list \u2014 or wish list <\/a>\u2014 sent to Capitol Hill includes money to speed up the service\u2019s plan to buy a future long-range assault helicopter<\/a> and efforts to boost lethality, such as outfitting more Stryker combat vehicles with a 30mm gun.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unfunded requirements list is something the military services send to Congress each year shortly following the release of the defense budget request to inform lawmakers on where money would be spent if there was more of it. The lists are usually provided at the request of congressional defense committees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service has pivoted toward six modernization priorities <\/a>it deems necessary to modernize the force, and through a rigorous review of every program within the Army by leadership, billions of dollars were found <\/a>within its $182 billion fiscal 2020 budget to devote to the ambitious efforts within that modernization portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the Army would spend another $243 million to advance certain modernization efforts if it could, according to the wish list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if the Army had additional funds, it would want to spend $40 million to buy the XM-913 weapon system \u2014 a 50mm gun, ammunition-handling system and fire control \u2014 to outfit two next-generation combat vehicle prototypes<\/a>. The NGCV is the second-highest modernization priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service would also want to spend $75.6 million to speed up decision-making<\/a> on the future long-range assault aircraft, or FLRAA \u2014 one of the two future vertical lift lines of effort to replace the current fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gen. John \u201cMike\u201d Murray, Army Futures Command<\/a> commander who is in charge of the service\u2019s modernization, told Defense News in a March 26 interview at the Association of the U.S. Army\u2019s Global Force Symposium that the service would like additional funding to close the gap between what it is seeing now with the two technology demonstrators, which are both flying, and a decision on the way ahead to procure FLRAA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell\u2019s V-280 Valor tilt-rotor aircraft <\/a>has been flying for nearly two years, and the Sikorsky-Boeing team\u2019s SB-1 Defiant flew last week<\/a>. The demonstrator aircraft were originally funded to help shape the service\u2019s requirements for a future vertical lift family of aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\t