The U.S. Army has selected M1 Support Services to lead Flight School Next, its next-generation initial rotary-wing training programme for Army helicopter pilots. The single-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract carries a ceiling of up to $10 billion over as long as 26 years and uses a contractor-owned, contractor-operated model. M1 will provide aircraft, maintenance, simulators, flight and academic instruction, and related support services, while the Army keeps oversight of training standards and safety.
The aircraft type was not identified in the Army’s award summary, but M1 indicated it planned to use the Robinson R66. The months-long competition is intended to modernise the service’s pilot training pipeline and reshape the role previously associated with the UH-72 Lakota. Flight School Next is designed as a long-term overhaul of how new rotary-wing pilots are trained, shifting much of the operational burden to a contractor-run system.