22-10-2012, 05:07 PM
Vertical Envelopment and the Future Transport Rotorcraft: Operational Considerations for the Objective Force
ABSTRACT
This report summarizes the research findings of an Arroyo Center analysis of the risks and uncertainties associated with
developing a Future Transport Rotorcraft (FTR) to help fulfill a vertical envelopment mission for the Objective Force. In this
concept, the FTR would move new medium-weight armored vehicles, known as the Future Combat Systems (FCS), about the
battlefield and across enemy air defenses. The FTR is a proposed heavy-lift helicopter capable of transporting the Army’s FCS
family of combat vehicles. Wargame and simulation models have shown significant benefit to the military if the FCS can be
deployed behind enemy lines in a concept known as ‘vertical envelopment.’ Preliminary analysis indicates that the FTR must
transport a 20-ton payload to a radius of 500 kilometers in an all-vertical mode. The authors review RAND Arroyo Center’s
analysis of the engineering, operational, and survivability risks associated with the FTR. The research shows that the success
of the FTR’s development depends upon engineers being able to surpass a wide range of historical trends in the design of
rotorcraft technology. Further, survivability concerns imply that the FTR will not have free range on the battlefield and that
operational flexibility will have to be reduced to ensure survivability. The authors recommend that efforts to conduct detailed
studies of FTR design remain open to a wide range of options, including alternatives to rotorcraft. They further argue that the
FTR would address only one aspect of the Army’s overall problem in rapidly deploying the FCS from home station to the
battlefield. (3 tables, 24 figures, 11 refs.)