HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Army leaders in Huntsville spent Thursday watching a test flight of one of the fastest helicopters ever made.
The one-of-a kind Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter is part of the Army's Future Vertical Lift Program.
The S-97 Raider prototype is Sikorsky's entry into the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft competition for the Army. It came to Huntsville from Florida and is being showcased to Army leaders at Redstone Arsenal as an aircraft of the future.
The S-97 Raider has unique aerodynamic characteristics like level body acceleration, level body deceleration, and significant speed.
Sikorsky's Future Vertical Lift Business Development Director Jay Macklin said, "180 knots is a lot faster than a Black Hawk flies today."
Unlike Sikorsky's Black Hawk helicopter, the S-97 Raider does not have a tail rotor. Instead, it uses X2 Technology. The S-97 Raider has a two-rotor system spinning in opposite directions. This makes it more maneuverable, much faster, and safer than other helicopters today.
Sikorsky Test Pilot Christiaan Corry said, "If you've watched any Michael Bay film where the aircraft takes a shot at the tail and it spins tragically into the ground, that's not really a thing with this machine anymore."
This was the first time the S-97 Raider has ever flown outside of a Sikorsky test center.
The goal is for these aircraft to be flying in support of the nation by 2030.
"The threat increases every year, so the capabilities of these aircraft need to increase," said Macklin.
This helicopter is designed to enhance war fighting capabilities for pilots.
"I think if we don't have ways to incorporate not only the technology inherent to the local Army unit, but to be able to bring in everything that's happening in the battlefield and synthesize that, particularly for a scout pilot to be able to understand what's happening around them and then be able to in real time project that back to the headquarters, I think that's going to be of paramount importance," said Corry.
Developers say this prototype could one day be used outside of defense.
"Whether you're the Coast Guard or an EMS, the ability to move people quickly when they need to be moved quickly, I don't think you could understate that," said Corry.
WATCH: Sikorsky S-97 RAIDER test flight at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville