Imagine a next-generation attack helicopter platform so advanced that it can reach speeds more than 220 knots, flying as high as 10,000 feet in 95° heat. The Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter is poised to do it and revolutionize next-generation military aviation. 

The S-97 Raider aircraft multi-mission capabilities will meet both conventional US Army and special operations future requirements in a variety of combat roles. Sikorsky is also reviewing potential applications for USAF, US Navy, and US Marine Corp services.   

Sikorsky Aircraft has invested in the X2 Technology to illustrate its commitment to developing future capabilities that are achievable and affordable. X2 technology is scalable to a variety of military missions including assault, armed reconnaissance, close-air support, combat search and rescue, and unmanned applications.  

Like the X2 Technology demonstrator aircraft that unofficially broke the helicopter speed record in 2010, the S-97 Raider helicopter prototypes will feature twin coaxial counter-rotating main rotors (in place of one main rotor and a tail rotor) and a pusher propeller.   

For the armed reconnaissance mission, the S-97 Raider helicopter will have space aft of the cockpit for armament and auxiliary fuel. In an assault configuration, the cabin will afford space to accommodate up to six troops.  

In addition to flying at nearly twice the speed of a conventional helicopter, the S-97 Raider prototype aircraft will incorporate other key performance parameters critical to combat operations — increased maneuverability, greater endurance, and the ability to operate at high altitudes.   

Compared with other light military helicopters, the Raider prototypes are expected to significantly reduce turning radius and acoustic noise signature, while significantly increasing the aircraft’s payload, flight endurance and hot and high hover capability.  

Last October the first of two S-97 RAIDER helicopter prototypes were unveiled, signaling the start of activities in the program’s test flight phase and a major step toward demonstrating the new – and first – armed reconnaissance rotorcraft featuring X2 Technology designed for military missions.   

The technology is claimed to offer safer high-speed flights with improved efficiency and safety. The helicopter is suitable for assault and armed reconnaissance missions. The technology is, however, scalable to a range of other missions such as close-air support, combat search and rescue and special operations.  

The single-engine Raider features a composite airframe and a maximum gross weight of slightly more than 11,000 lbs. The aircraft will be capable of carrying an array of weapons and sensors, necessary for the mission. The cockpit will fit two pilots, seated side-by-side. The flexible cabin space will carry up to six combat-equipped troops, or additional fuel and ammunition for extended missions.

The Raider helicopter program is 100 per cent industry funded. Sikorsky provides 75 percent of the investment, and 53 principal suppliers provide the remaining funding. 

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Connecticut, is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, provides high technology products and services to the aerospace and building systems industries.   

First proposed in response to a request for information for the Armed Aerial Scout program in March 2010, the S-97 was formally launched on in October 2010. It is intended as a possible contender for the US Army’s requirement for an Armed Aerial Scout to replace the Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. Other military roles are possible, with the U.S. Special Operations Command having expressed interest in the concept as a replacement for the MH-6 Little Bird, and the possibility of adapting it for civilian applications also exists.   

The S-97 Raider development is also being sponsored by a number of companies including GE, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell, Garmin, Parker Aerospace, Hamilton Sundstrand, among others.