Overview
- Bell and M1 Support Services said this week they advanced to Phase IV of the Army’s Flight School Next competition, while Lockheed Martin confirmed it did not move on.
- Phase IV requires each finalist to demonstrate a full training solution with curricula, simulators, and flight evaluations by Army test teams, with an award targeted by September.
- Bell proposes the Bell 505 and M1 plans to use Robinson’s R66, both single‑engine trainers that contrast with today’s twin‑engine UH‑72 Lakota, which leaders have called too costly and restrictive for basics.
- Lawmakers paused funding in the latest defense policy law and ordered a proof‑of‑concept and briefings on cost and value before money can be released, yet the Army’s evaluations are proceeding.
- The plan would shift maintenance plus classroom and flight instruction to a contractor‑owned, contractor‑operated school to produce about 900 to 1,500 new pilots a year over 26 years, reshaping how students learn early skills.