The Army on Wednesday named its next-generation assault aircraft “Cheyenne II,” putting a formal name on the focal point of an aviation program that has been readily expedited.
The name pays homage to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe — Native American tribes whose members attended the 2026 Army Aviation Warfighting Summit where the new name of the Bell MV-75 tiltrotor aircraft was announced, according to an Army statement.
The naming comes as the Army accelerates the aircraft’s development timeline, pushing to field the new platform years ahead of earlier projections.
Army officials said the name reflects both the aircraft’s intended capabilities and the Cheyenne tribe.
“The Cheyenne tribes represent a resilient warrior culture and embodies the key attributes of the MV-75,” said Brent Ingraham, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, at the Nashville summit.
Created for use in the Pacific theater, the new assault aircraft will be the Army’s first conventional tiltrotor aircraft and is designed to fly at speeds over 300 miles per hour. It can carry up to 14 soldiers and support an external load of up to 10,000 pounds, according to the Army.
The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is expected to field the new aircraft in 2027.
The name Cheyenne was previously used for another assault aircraft that was developed in the decades before but never entered service, according to the Army Historical Foundation.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
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