Sikorsky gives the Army its first look at the S-97 Raider helicopter Alexander Soule FacebookTwitterEmail A pilot demonstrates the Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter's capabilities in mid-April in Huntsville, Ala., the first flights before U.S. Army staff considering the helicopter as an armed reconnaissance replacement for Bell Helicopter's OH-58 Kiowa. (Press photo via Lockheed Martin)Press photo / Lockheed Martin Corporation For the first time, U.S. Army staff has gotten a look this week at the Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter in flight, one of two initial prototypes of a new generation of aircraft the Stratford manufacturer hopes will become the backbone of the U.S. military for decades.