X2 Technology Demonstrated Revolutionary Speed, Maneuverability, and Scalability Across Multiple Combat Roles
In October 2018, the Sikorsky S-97 Raider light tactical prototype helicopter flew faster than 200 knots at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center, as announced by Lockheed Martin. Developed by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, the Raider was built on the company’s proven X2 Technology, enabling speeds twice that of conventional helicopters.
“The Sikorsky S-97 Raider flight test program is exceeding expectations, demonstrating Raider’s revolutionary speed, maneuverability, and agility,” said Tim Malia, Sikorsky director, Future Vertical Lift Light. “X2 Technology represents a suite of technologies needed for the future fight, enabling the warfighter to engage in high-intensity conflict anytime, anywhere as a member of a complex, multi-domain team.”
The milestone came as Sikorsky was preparing its proposal for the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competition, part of the broader Future Vertical Lift initiative aimed at revolutionizing the Army’s aircraft fleet. The Raider incorporated the latest advances in fly-by-wire flight controls, vehicle management systems, and systems integration — enabling high-speed flight while maintaining the low-speed handling qualities and maneuverability of conventional single main rotor helicopters.
“It’s undeniably important for the warfighter to get to the mission fast. And once they get there, X2 Technology provides the critical handling qualities that make the aircraft survivable, lethal, and agile,” said Sikorsky experimental test pilot Bill Fell, a retired U.S. Army pilot. “Sikorsky X2 Technology changes the way we fly and fight — we can get there fast, be more effective while on the scene and we can get out fast.”
Scalable across a wide range of missions — including light assault, light attack, armed reconnaissance, combat search and rescue, and unmanned applications — the X2 Technology at the heart of the Raider was funded entirely by Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, and industry partners.
Based on the XH-59A prototype and the Collier Award-winning X2 Technology Demonstrator, the system made significant improvements in vibration reduction, weight reduction, and blade technology, allowing the aircraft to be flown by a single pilot with a single engine.
On July 29, 2020, Lockheed Martin and the Sikorsky-Boeing team demonstrated Future Vertical Lift aircraft in action, showing how the S-97 Raider and SB>1 Defiant would give the U.S. Army the edge in achieving aviation overmatch. “Seeing Raider and Defiant in formation is a natural evolution of Sikorsky’s X2 Technology and is a glimpse into the future of Army Aviation,” said Jay Macklin, Sikorsky Future Vertical Lift Business Development Director.
The two aircraft addressed distinct combat roles within the Army’s modernization strategy. The SB>1 Defiant, developed by Sikorsky and Boeing, was designed for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) requirement — flying twice as far and twice as fast as the Black Hawk while fitting within the same operational footprint. The Raider X, meanwhile, was positioned as the Army’s knife-fighter: a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) candidate built to penetrate anti-aircraft defenses and provide battlefield intelligence with the agility to adapt as the battlespace evolved.
Photo by Lockheed Martin
