--- title: "Army Names Its New MV-75 Tiltrotor Cheyenne II" description: "First applied to a failed cutting-edge attack helicopter, the Cheyenne name returns for what is perhaps the Army’s most ambitious rotorcraft program yet. First applied to a visionary failure, the Cheyenne name returns for what is perhaps the Army’s most ambitious rotorcraft yet." date: "2026-04-15" modified: "2026-04-15" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/army-names-its-new-mv-75-tiltrotor-cheyenne-ii" categories: - "Air" - "FLRAA" - "Future Vertical Lift" - "Helicopters" - "Military Aviation History" tags: - "Army Aviation Warfighting Summit 2026" --- # Army Names Its New MV-75 Tiltrotor Cheyenne II ![The Cold War-era Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne might have been bugged my multiple issues, but there’s no doubt it was the world’s most advanced attack helicopter of its day. But so radical was the AH-56, and its revolutionary features so far ahead of their time, that it’s a very suitable moniker for the U.S. Army’s highly anticipated MV-75 tiltrotor, rolled out today, and officially named Cheyenne II.]() *Lockheed/Bell* The Cold War-era Lockheed [AH-56 Cheyenne]() might have been plagued with issues, but there’s no doubt it was among the world’s most advanced helicopters of its day. The AH-56 was so fast, and its features so [ahead of their time](), that the U.S. Army has decided to port over its name for its highly anticipated [MV-75]() tiltrotor, now officially named the Cheyenne II. The name also continues the Army's tradition of naming its helicopters after great Native American tribes, and will find its place among icons like the Apache, Chinook, and Lakota. ![]() *A rendering shows a pair of MV-75s, now named Cheyenne II. *Bell** In 2022, the Army picked [a design from Bell, based]() on that company’s [V-280 Valor tiltrotor](), as [the winner of its ]()[Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft]() (FLRAA) competition. In January of this year, the Army confirmed to *[TWZ]()* that it planned to accelerate its timeline for the MV-75 by multiple years, fielding the first examples in 2027 versus 2031. ![]() *The Bell V-280 Valor was developed for the Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technical Demonstrator program as a precursor to the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). *Bell/Matthew Ryan** The rollout took place today at the Army Aviation Association of America’s Army Aviation Warfighting Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. Speaking to journalists, including *TWZ*, before that event, [Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill](), the commanding general of the Army Aviation Center and Portfolio Acquisition Executive — Expanded Maneuver Air, announced the MV-75’s rollout as “a pivotal moment for Army Aviation, for our soldiers.” In keeping [with other Army rotorcraft](), the MV-75’s name also honors a Native American tribe (more accurately, two tribes), the Cheyenne. As Maj. Gen. Gill explained: "This name reflects more than heritage. It reflects identity. The Cheyenne people inhabited the Great Plains for 400 years, adapting to a harsh and unforgiving environment as highly proficient hunters and gatherers. Their way of life required constant mobility, organized around nomadic buffalo hunting, enabling them to assemble, disassemble, and move quickly to meet the demands of their environment. In many aspects, that same ability to rapidly organize, reposition, and operate with precision is reflected in the MV-75 platform.” “Life in that environment demanded resilience and strength,” Gill continued. “Tribes navigated rivalries, dirt, conflict, and adapted as Westward expansion reshaped the landscape around them. Today, the Cheyenne are represented by the Northern Cheyenne tribe in Montana, in the [Cheyenne and Arapaho]() tribes in Oklahoma, whose legacy reflects the proud and enduring warrior tradition, ground and protection, provision and leadership. Those values demand capability, and in today’s fight, that capability comes in the form of speed, range, lethality, and adaptability. That spirit of mobility, resilience, and disciplined strength is what the name Cheyenne II represents.” As for the other, historical Cheyenne, the AH-56, this was a first-generation attack helicopter drafted during the Vietnam War. Most impressively for the time, the helicopter could hit a 224-mile-per-hour cruise speed and dash at speeds up to 240 miles per hour, driven by a nearly 4,000-horsepower turbine engine and a pusher propeller on the tail boom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhK9vVCwA3g While it boasted incredible performance and was packed full of advanced features, the AH-56 was destined for failure. A combination of technical issues, program management shortfalls, changing procurement priorities, high cost, and a fatal crash in 1969 saw the program terminated. But despite never entering service, the Cheyenne left a profound impact on the concept of close air support and attack helicopter design, and today holds a special place in military aviation history. On the other hand, there are plenty of obvious differences between the AH-56 and the MV-75, not least their missions. They also had different prime contractors, and, the Army must hope, will have very different outcomes. Maj. Gen. Gill continued: “What the \[AH-56\] Cheyenne was when it was initially conceived in the 1960s was a transformational leap ahead in technology. It was a rotorcraft when we were still learning how helicopters flew and how we could get the maximum utility, speed, and range out of them. And the Cheyenne, at the time that it was developed, was completely different. It had a pusher prop on it that allowed it to achieve speeds that we hadn’t seen before. You could draw a lot of parallels between going from the current fleet of rotorcraft that we fly, that is really 1960s, 1970s-era technology … to what we’re doing with the tiltrotor technology. Twice as far, twice as fast, vertical takeoff and landing, but flying at airplane speeds. You can certainly draw the metaphor there if you want, between the AH-56 back in the late 1960s and the MV-75 today.” ![]() *AH-56 Cheyenne firing rockets. *U.S. Army** Continuing on the transformational theme, Brent G. Ingraham, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, provided his assessment of the MV-75, describing it as “a generational capability for the Army,” and one that “truly fundamentally changes how commanders think about distance, time, and maneuver on the battlefield.” Ingraham continued: “It combines the vertical lift of a helicopter with the speed and range of an airplane, allowing us to project combat power from safer distances, penetrate deeper into contested environments, and deliver soldiers where they are needed most, faster than we ever have before.” For the soldier, this means “restoring full-squad insertion at extended range, expanding medevac reach well beyond today’s Golden Hour, enabling large-scale, [long-range air assault operations that can reshape the battlefield](),” Ingraham added. Just as critically, the Cheyenne II will be able to self-deploy globally, reducing cost, complexity, and response time in a crisis. This is also especially relevant for [future operations in the Indo-Pacific region](), where operating locations and objectives are likely to be dispersed across large areas with limited options for making intermediate stops. ![]() *A rendering of an MV-75 launching drones. *Bell** Ingraham also noted another key aspect of the program, namely the [incredibly aggressive schedule]() to get it into service. Claiming the program as an “acquisition success story,” he described the team moving “with urgency while maintaining discipline.” The MV-75 is designed around a modular, open-systems approach, with a digital backbone that should make it easier to adapt and upgrade as the program evolves. “That means we can rapidly integrate new technologies, adapt to emerging threats, and avoid the costly redesigns of the past,” Ingraham said. ![]() *Soldiers are gaining hands-on experience with the future MV-75 through an immersive Virtual Prototype at Redstone Arsenal. *U.S. Army/Matthew Ryan** Ingraham confirmed that the fielding timeline is being accelerated, which means the first Cheyenne II unit should be equipped in Fiscal Year 2030. Exactly how realistic that ambition is is something that we will discuss in a follow-on story. As Ingraham said, speed matters, not just in the air, but in acquisition as well. “We did it through strong partnerships across industry, the requirements community, and our operational units like the 101st \[The [101st Airborne Division](), the Army’s premier air assault unit, and the first unit set to get MV-75s\], ensuring this platform is not just technologically advanced, but operationally relevant from day one. Simply put, the MV-75 Cheyenne II is how we deliver capability at the speed of relevance.” For a rotary-wing program that puts a lot of emphasis on speed, its new Cheyenne II name is especially appropriate. Let’s just hope its warp-speed development doesn’t end the same way as its partial namesake. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()