The US Army is overhauling how it trains its new helicopter pilots to fly, outsourcing training to a private company

A US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flies over Panama City, Panama.

Tech.

Sgt.

Whitney Erhart/US Air National Guard The US Army is outsourcing training for up to 1,500 new helicopter pilots a year to a private company.

The new, civilian-run flight school could run for 26 years under a contract worth up to $10 billion.

Army leaders have previously said such a plan could build better flight skills and save money.

The US Army is moving to outsource the first stage of helicopter pilot training in a substantial shift that will hand a role long filled by military aviators over to a private contractor.

M1 Support Services, a Texas-based aviation contractor, will provide entry-level helicopter training, the Army announced last week.

The new "Flight School Next" program will provide the aircraft, equipment, simulators, and classroom, as well as the flight training for between 800 and 1,500 new pilots each year at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for up to 26 years as part of a deal worth up to $10 billion.

The service says that the shift is intended to modernize training and save money.

The change comes as Army leaders have questioned whether the current training model is sufficiently preparing junior pilots for more advanced flight training.

Turning the training over to a private company upends a foundational piece of Army aviation training.

Traditionally, senior Army helicopter pilots have trained their junior counterparts, serving as instructors in yearslong assignments.

"Flight School Next delivers a critical improvement in our Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training model.