Boeing has revealed CxR, an unmanned tiltrotor concept designed to fly alongside Army helicopters in reconnaissance, attack, and cargo roles. Shown at the Association of the U.S. Army conference on Oct. 13, 2025, the “robot wingman” proposal reflects the service’s move toward autonomous systems following the end of the FARA program.

AUSA Reveal And Mission Set

Boeing presented CxR renderings in Washington, proposing an unmanned VTOL aircraft to augment legacy helicopter formations in combat and logistics missions. “We see a lot of demand in that RSTA mission: reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and attack,” said Chris Speights, chief engineer for Boeing’s vertical lift division, noting evolving Apache employment and a need for flexible options.

Specs And Architecture

Boeing targets Group 5 classification, with an estimated 5,000–7,000-pound weight and 1,000–2,000-pound payload. Renderings show a V-22-like profile, but CxR uses a single gas-turbine powering both rotors via simplified drive shafts and gearboxes—an approach the company says differs from the Osprey’s twin-engine setup.

Ties To CCA And Ghost Bat

Engineers say the concept draws on Air Force collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) work and Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat experience with Australia. “We actually expect to leverage a lot of those lessons learned… around the autonomy and mission capability,” Speights said.

Army Pivot To Autonomy

The reveal follows the Army’s 2024 decision to cancel FARA and a leadership push for autonomous capabilities. “When we look at those FARA requirements… this lines up really well… but with much better affordability,” Speights added, framing CxR as a fit for emerging mission gaps.

Competitive Field At AUSA

Rivals also showcased unmanned rotorcraft: Sikorsky introduced NOMAD—its rotor-blown-wing VTOL drone—and rolled out a pilotless UH-60L cargo variant (U-HAWK). The demonstrations underscore industry momentum behind uncrewed lift and loyal-wingman concepts for the Army.