On Apr. 15, 2026, at the Army Aviation Warfighting Summit, the U.S. Army officially named its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft the MV-75 Cheyenne II.
Yes, the Army has decided that it ran out of Native American tribes to name its aircraft after and circled back to a canceled attack helicopter from the 1960s. Or, maybe they felt bad about shorting the Cheyenne tribe with the AH-56 and decided to try again with the MV-75. Regardless, the name is back.
Also Read: Why Army helicopters are named after Native tribes
For 79 years, the Army has named its aircraft after Native American tribes. Originally, the tribal names only applied to transport helicopters like the UH-1 Iroquois and the CH-47 Chinook; the AH-1 Cobra was named after the venomous snake to reflect its role as an attack aircraft.
The Army has since applied the tradition of honoring Native American tribes with aircraft names across its fleet, to include the AH-64 Apache gunship and the C-12 Huron airplane.
According to the MV-75 Nominee Project Office, the Cheyenne name was revived based on the tribes’ historical displays of the aircraft’s key attributes. Army officials report that over 500 tribes were considered. During the naming process, feedback was provided by organizations responsible for the aircraft’s development and delivery.
In the end, the Army decided that the MV-75’s speed, range, and adaptability mirrored the historical strengths of the Cheyenne tribes.
“With the MV-75 we honor a legacy, forged by conflict, proven in battle, originally known to the U.S. Army as some of the most formidable and disciplined adversaries on the battlefield,” said Under Secretary of the Army Mike Obadal at the naming ceremony. Members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe were present for the announcement.
“The relationship evolved through warfare to mutual respect and finally into an unbroken legacy of patriotic service, with members serving in every major American conflict. The United States Army is proud to honor this history and pace the expectations of this warrior spirit on our aviators who operate the MV-75 Cheyenne.”
The “MV” designation denotes the Cheyenne II’s Multi-Mission and Vertical takeoff capabilities. To honor the Army’s founding in 1775, the aircraft received the numerical designation of 75.
The MV-75 Cheyenne II is the Army’s first conventional tilt-rotor aircraft, while the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy have used the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey and its variants since 2007.
Designed to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk, the Cheyenne II can transport up to 14 soldiers, lift an external load of up to 10,000 pounds, and fly in excess of 300 mph. The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell, Kentucky will be the first unit to receive the MV-75 with deliveries expected in 2027.
Fingers crossed for a smoother introduction (and service life) than the Osprey…
Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty
• New Army contract will turn Black Hawk helicopters into drone-launching motherships
• 5 Native American tribes most feared by the US Army
• An Army pilot shot three times during the Maduro Raid received the Medal of Honor
