08/17/2026
The U.S. Army has announced its award of the Flight School Next contract to M1 Support Services. Within this award, the Robinson R66 will serve as the Army’s primary rotorcraft trainer at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
“This decision gives the Army a proven training platform that truly prepares Army aviators, made in America, and ready to fly today. Reliable and cost effective, it is built to deliver readiness at a fraction of the cost of current platforms. Together, Robinson and Team M1 deliver the aircraft, the experience, and the infrastructure the Army needs to train the next generation of Army Aviators on day one,” said David Smith, President & CEO.
Designed, engineered, and manufactured in Torrance, California, with more than 85% of parts built in-house, the R66’s vertically integrated American manufacturing, delivers consistent quality, reliable parts availability, and direct OEM responsiveness to meet the demands of high-tempo flight training operations.
It reinforces the same parts, service, and training infrastructure Robinson has provided for decades. It also builds on our recent launch of Robinson Unmanned, making Robinson one of the few American OEMs delivering both manned and unmanned vertical lift at scale.
Climb Higher 🇺🇸🚁
🔗 Read the full press release: https://www.robinsonheli.com/press/robinson-helicopter-company-r66-selected-for-us-army-flight-school-next-as-army-announces-intent-to-award-contract-to-m1-support-services
