House Lawmakers Challenge Military Procurement Plans.

Lawmakers are demanding that the US Army secretary provide a thorough analysis of alternatives to pursuing a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) before continuing with the program. The Army has already spent $2 billion on FARA, which is currently limited to two preselected teams, Bell and Lockheed Martin, for a competitive fly-off. The delayed Improved Turbine Engine Program engine is needed for the fly-off phase of the competition, which is now expected to take place in the fourth quarter of FY24. The Army is continuing to develop systems for FARA, including weapons systems and a critical modular, open-system architecture for the aircraft.