The V-280 Valor, prototype of the Army’s planned MV-75 Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft that’s designed to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. (Bell)
The Army’s next-generation, multirole, vertical-lift aircraft will carry the name Cheyenne II, the service announced Wednesday.
The name was unveiled at the Army Aviation Association of America’s annual conference in Nashville, a year after revealing the 101st Airborne Division would be the service’s first unit to receive the MV-75.
The MV-75 is intended to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a design that first flew in October 1974, according to the Army. It is a tilt-rotor aircraft with engine nacelles mounted on the wingtips. The rotors can counter-rotate, allowing for a high level of maneuverability and hovering stability.
“The Cheyenne people represent a resilient warrior culture and embody the key attributes of the MV-75 — speed, reach, lethality, and adaptability,” Army Acquisition Executive Brent Ingraham said in a statement. “I am honored to be part of this historic occasion as we officially name our multi-mission tilt-rotor aircraft.”
The Army evaluated the names of more than 500 tribes and Native American figures before selecting Cheyenne II, the statement says. The name was previously used in the late 1960s for the AH-56 Cheyenne, which was developed to be an advanced, high-speed attack helicopter. Though the AH-56 program did not move forward, its legacy lives on in the new tilt-rotor platform.
“The MV-75 is a transformational aircraft that will provide our Joint Force with unparalleled versatility to dominate a wide array of mission sets,” Col. Jeffrey Poquette, Project Manager for the MV-75 Cheyenne II, said in a statement. “We are honored to have the Cheyenne tribes’ approval to use their name, which embodies the power of this aircraft.”
The MV-75 is designed to carry 14 troops and a crew of four, according to the Army. It has a cruise speed of 320 mph — much faster than the Black Hawk’s operating speed of 183 mph. And it will boast a range of up to 920 miles, which dwarfs the Black Hawk’s 367-mile top range.
Fort Campbell officials expect to begin receiving MV-75s around 2028.
Army officials believe the new capability will allow the 101st Airborne to deploy its forces as far as Europe with just MV-75s, instead of needing to load troops and helicopters on planes or ships to reach the Continent.
The number 75 pays homage to 1775, the year of birth of the U.S. Army, an Army spokesperson said last year.
