Future Vertical Lift Program

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December 21, 2022 — ARLINGTON, Va. - The National Guard’s footprint on domestic and international events continued in... MORE

Spc. Megan Koszarek, an infantryman with the Alaska Army National Guard’s Avalanche Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, conducts a security sweep during a training exercise near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Dec. 3, 2022. The exercise's aim was to enhance the unit’s combat readiness and evaluate proficiency in an arctic environment.

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Colombian Air Force KFIRs and the U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from the South Carolina Air National Guard, 157th Fighter Squadron, fly in formation during Relampago VII, an exercise in Barranquilla, Colombia, Aug. 30, 2022. South Carolina is Colombia’s partner in the State Partnership Program.

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Civilian search and rescue personnel on a CH-47F Chinook helicopter operated by New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to B Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, head to a mission on Sanibel Island, Florida, Oct. 2, 2022. At the direction of Gov. Kathy Hochul, the New York National Guard deployed two Chinook helicopters and 11 Soldiers to help the Florida National Guard respond to the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian.

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Members of the 202nd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) Squadron, Florida Air National Guard, clear roads of Hurricane Ian debris in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Oct. 1, 2022. The 202nd RED HORSE Squadron, stationed at Camp Blanding, Florida, is a specialized, highly mobile civil engineering team of Florida Air National Guard members.

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The Virginia National Guard staged eight Soldiers and four tactical trucks capable of high water transportation on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and 12 Soldiers and six trucks at readiness centers in the Hampton Roads area Oct. 3. The Guard was prepared to respond to potential severe weather if needed.

Virginia National Guard Prepared for Hurricane Response
September 30, 2022 — RICHMOND, Va. - The Virginia National Guard staged about 60 Soldiers and Airmen across the... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldiers prepare for possible severe weather from Hurricane Ian Sept. 30, 2022, in Powhatan, Virginia. Soldiers assigned to the 180th Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group, were prepared to provide high mobility transport and clear debris if needed.

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September 30, 2022 — PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana National Guard is supporting the response to Hurricane Ian in Florida... MORE

Nearly 60 Louisiana National Guardsmen assigned to the 1087th Transportation Company, 165th Combat Sustainment and Support Brigade, 139th Regional Support Group, prepare tactical vehicles to assist emergency operations in Florida after Hurricane Ian, Slidell, Louisiana, Sept. 29, 2022.

Thousands of Guardsmen Supporting Hurricane Ian Response
September 29, 2022 — ARLINGTON, Va. – More than 5,000 National Guardsmen from multiple states are positioned across... MORE

U.S. Army Soldiers with the Florida National Guard's Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive - Enhanced Response Force Package load supplies as part of their response to Hurricane Ian, Sarasota, Fla., Sept. 29, 2022. Soldiers and Airmen were joined by emergency responders from other states as they mobilized to support the local community.

National Guard Staged for Florida Hurricane Response
September 28, 2022 — ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Some 5,000 Florida National Guard troops were ready Wednesday to help... MORE

Florida National Guard Army Pfc. Kenneth Bonn, a combat engineer with the 753rd Engineering Brigade, inspects a search and rescue vessel during Hurricane Ian state activation, Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Fla., Sept. 27, 2022. Bonn is part of the Florida National Guard's Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) - Enhanced Response Force Package (FL-CERFP).

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Video by T'Jae Ellis

Future Vertical Lift Program

Army Research Laboratory

March 26, 2013 | 2:28

A new study by Army researchers is looking at inserting carbon nanotubes into the structural design of helicopter rotor blades in hopes this approach fixes a list of deficiencies highlighted particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Dr. Bryan Glaz, a research aerospace engineer within the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Vehicle Technology Directorate, co-leads ARL's effort investing ways to augment the inherent stability of the helicopter structure so future helicopters could be built better to eliminate some of these constraints on the performance and the design of the aircraft that have been in place since helicopters have been built.

He explains the notional idea of inserting carbon nanotubes into the helicopter's composite materials to see if they achieve necessary stability characteristics.
(Video produced by T'Jae Gibson and Larry Shank, ARL Public Affairs Office and Dr. Stephanie Piraino, ARL researcher.)