Sikorsky looks to be making
good progress with their S-97 demonstrators.
While the X2 technology may present some performance limitations for the heavier JMR configurations, Sikorsky will definitely benefit in several ways from this S-97 flight demonstration program. They are demonstrating the capability to design and build a high-quality TD aircraft in a reasonable amount of time and budget. The S-97 TD effort also serves nicely as "practice" to work out any issues with partners they will team with on JMR. Flying the S-97 TDs also reduces the perceived level of technical risk for the X2-based JMR candidates. And we all know how risk-averse the US DoD can be when it comes to large production aircraft programs. Lastly, successful flight testing of these S-97 TDs will likely attract substantial interest from foreign customers. So the S-97 may turn into a production program even if the X2-based concept is not selected for the final JMR design.