Bell Textron is starting work on a new $20 million facility dedicated to test parts for its future helicopters, including the ones Bell intends to replace the Black Hawk with as part of a contract with the U.S. Army. 

At the new building, called the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft Drive Test Lab, the company will conduct tests to develop gearboxes that are lighter and more efficient. The 37,775-square-foot building is expected to be completed March 30, 2024, with operations the following year.

The building will be next to Bell’s existing drive test facilities in Grand Prairie, which has been developing transmissions and gearboxes for decades. Bell also has a weapons integration lab  in Arlington and a manufacturing technology center in Fort Worth to support its efforts around competing for future helicopter contracts. The company is headquartered in Fort Worth, in Northeast Tarrant County.