US Army triggers competition for future long-range assault aircraft

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has launched its future long-range assault aircraft competition, quietly releasing a request for proposals limited to two industry teams.  The service has also homed in on a schedule to deliver FLRAA prototypes after debating two different options to stay on schedule.  The service weighed the option of pursuing both prototype builds for the airframe and the weapons systems at the same time, or on slightly separate schedules, which would have meant the difference between delivering full prototypes to the Army by the s…