Army Aviation Warfighting Summit 2026

Apache counter-drone ammunition ramps up production
AH-64

Production Of AH-64 Apache’s New Counter-Drone Cannon Shell Ammunition Ramping-Up

The Army anticipates a five-fold increase in procurement of the XM1225 APEX ammo.

L3Harris is pushing its modular Wolf family of “launched effects vehicles” for the U.S. Army, including to equip its H-60 Black Hawk series and AH-64 Apache helicopters. The family of vehicles includes the Red Wolf, configured for long-range precision strikes against targets on land or at sea, and the Green Wolf fitted with an electronic warfare payload.
H-60

Wolf Pack Modular Mini Cruise Missiles Pitched For Apache, Black Hawk

Already building launched effects vehicles for the Marine Corps, L3Harris now wants to bring these capabilities to U.S. Army rotorcraft.

The U.S. Army has given us our first glimpse at what the new MV-75A Cheyenne II tiltrotor will look like in its special operations configuration.
FLRAA

First Look At What A Night Stalker MV-75 Cheyenne Will Look Like

A new rendering shows an MV-75 with special operations-specific features like a radar, other sensors, and in-flight refueling capability.

Boeing has provided details on its future plans for the venerable H-47 Chinook, including adding launched effects and creating a path toward an uncrewed version of the helicopter.
MH-47

CH-47 Chinook Air-Launching Swarms Of Drones Touted As Future Feature

Boeing also identifies growing interest in an optimally crewed version of the Chinook.

General Atomics is calling attention to a new mission for its Mojave short takeoff and landing (STOL) drone: hunting uncrewed aerial threats with laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets.
Laser Guided Rockets

Hunting Drones From Sloppy Airstrips Is General Atomics’ Future Vision For Mojave

Pushed forward to very rough fields, Mojave could also escort helicopters, strike targets, provide surveillance and networking, and even transport cargo.

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.
FLRAA

Army Names Its New MV-75 Tiltrotor Cheyenne II

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.

U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk Tour And Mission Brief With Its Pilots

U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk Tour And Mission Brief With Its Pilots

Branded Content: The UH-60M is a workhorse of the U.S. Army that can perform many duties, soon to include uncrewed battlefield support.

MV-75 will be entering service much fast than originally planned.
FLRAA

MV-75 Tiltrotor Already Part Of Army Officer Training, General Says

With the Army putting its MV-75 tiltrotor on a blazingly fast track, troops are already getting experience on the aircraft before the first one is even delivered.

U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment approach Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic during a forward arming and refueling point exercise, MCOLF Atlantic, May 6, 2025. U.S. Army Soldiers and aircraft from the 160th SOAR utilized MCAS Cherry Point’s training area to conduct a FARP. This training is essential for enhancing the unit’s operational readiness and ensuring efficient support for rapid deployment, as Cherry Point provides the facilities and resources to simulate real world scenarios.
MH-60/AH-60

This Is What The Night Stalkers’ MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator Brought To The Venezuelan Op

The hard-hitting attack version of the special operations MH-60 was clearly among the critical assets used in Operation Absolute Resolve.

U.S. M1A2 Abrams assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Task Force Iron, maneuver to get on line with the Apache helicopters assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Task Force Iron, during Iron Defender-25 at Orzysz Training Area in Orzysz, Poland, Sept. 17, 2025. The Apache helicopters provided cover fire while the Abrams advanced. The purpose of large scale training events like Iron Defender-25 is to prove the Polish Armed Forces and their NATO allies’ ability to deter and effectively defend the territory of Poland. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Pfc. Andre Gremillion Jr.)
AH-64

U.S. Army AH-64E Apache’s Counter-Drone Capability Rapidly Matures

Apaches scored 13 drone kills out of 14 engagements during Operation Flyswatter, reflecting the AH-64’s evolving counter-UAS capabilities.

The U.S. Army is in the very early stages of formulating a vision for fleets of advanced and highly autonomous drones in a similar vein to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) that the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy are now developing.
Loyal Wingman

U.S. Army’s Vision For Loyal Wingman Drones To Fly With Its Helicopters Is Taking Shape

The Army is following the other services’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft efforts as it looks to team its rotorcraft with highly autonomous drones.

Not every lesson in Ukraine is applicable to U.S. Army aviation a top general told us.
Ukraine

The Lessons U.S. Army Aviation Is Learning From The War In Ukraine

U.S. Army general tells us how the war in Ukraine has changed Army aviation’s future and what lessons are best left unheeded.

The U.S. Army has opened the door to potentially acquiring new types of 70mm rockets that are similar, but different from the Hydra-70 family it employs today.
Laser Guided Rockets

Army Open To 70mm Rocket Alternatives To Shore-Up Stockpile

Tens of thousands of Hydra-70s are fired each year in combat and training, with the anti-air role against drones putting extra pressure on supplies.