Report: New MV-75 tiltrotor aircraft to Transform Air Assault Capabilities of U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division.

U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division launches the next chapter in Army aviation with a ceremony held on June 6, 2025, unveiling a 1/8th scale model of the MV-75 Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) in the atrium of the division headquarters at Fort Campbell, United States. The event marked a historic milestone for the Screaming Eagles, introducing a platform that represents the U.S. Army’s vision for future vertical lift and sustained air assault dominance for decades to come.
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U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Travis McIntosh, Deputy Commanding General (Support) of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), stands alongside retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Doug Englen, now Bell’s Senior Military Sales and Strategy Manager, and Army aviators following the official unveiling of the MV-75 Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) model at the 101st Division Headquarters, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on June 6, 2025. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

The MV-75 is the designation given to the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), developed under the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) initiative, a key pillar of the U.S. Army’s modernization strategy. The FLRAA program aims to replace the aging fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with a next-generation vertical lift platform that offers significant improvements in range, speed, payload, and survivability. The goal of the program is to enable U.S. Army air assault units to deploy faster, reach deeper into enemy territory, and operate more effectively in contested and high-threat environments. FLRAA is expected to play a central role in multi-domain operations by providing unmatched mobility and tactical flexibility across all theaters.

The MV-75 is engineered to fulfill these demands through its advanced tiltrotor design, digital open systems architecture, and modular airframe. Capable of flying twice as far and nearly twice as fast as its predecessor, it delivers increased reach for inserting troops, extracting casualties, or executing precision strikes in areas previously considered inaccessible for rotary-wing aircraft. Its configuration is built to integrate emerging technologies, such as autonomous flight systems, next-generation sensors, and electronic warfare capabilities, making it a future-proof asset for decades of evolving threats.

Technically, the MV-75 draws on the design and capabilities of the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor platform, combining helicopter-like vertical takeoff and landing with fixed-wing speed and endurance. It features a cruise speed of approximately 280 knots (518 km/h), a combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles, and a fly-by-wire flight control system for enhanced stability and handling. Its tiltrotor configuration ensures rapid transition between hover and cruise, allowing agile penetration into contested zones. Built with advanced composite materials, the MV-75 incorporates crashworthy airframe design, high survivability features, and built-in sustainment diagnostics to reduce downtime and maintenance costs. Its open-architecture systems allow seamless integration of future mission packages, making it adaptable to evolving battlefield needs.

Currently, the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division relies primarily on the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as its main assault and utility helicopter. In service since the 1970s, the Black Hawk has proven reliable and versatile in various missions, including air assault, medevac, and logistics. In addition, the division employs the Boeing CH-47 Chinook for heavy lift operations and the AH-64 Apache for armed reconnaissance and close air support. While these helicopters have served with distinction, the MV-75 is designed to overcome their limitations by offering extended range, faster speeds, and integration with modern digital and electronic warfare networks.

Compared to the UH-60 Black Hawk, the MV-75 will offer a leap in overall combat performance and mission adaptability. The MV-75 is expected to double the operational range of the Black Hawk, which typically reaches around 370 km (230 miles), allowing air assault forces to penetrate deeper into enemy territory without refueling. In terms of speed, the Black Hawk cruises at approximately 280 km/h, while the MV-75 is designed to cruise at over 500 km/h, drastically reducing time-to-objective and enabling faster troop insertion or extraction under fire.

The MV-75 will also enhance survivability with low-observable design elements, integrated electronic countermeasures, and advanced threat detection systems, which the Black Hawk lacks in its baseline configuration. Onboard mission systems will include real-time digital battlefield connectivity, allowing for seamless integration with other U.S. and allied platforms. Unlike the analog-dominant systems on the UH-60, the MV-75’s open systems architecture enables rapid upgrades, autonomous operations, and artificial intelligence-assisted mission planning, further enhancing flexibility and operational tempo.

Payload capacity will also improve, with the MV-75 capable of carrying a full infantry squad with gear over extended distances in high-altitude, high-temperature conditions where current aircraft face performance degradation. Its enhanced lift and flight envelope enable operations in geographically demanding areas such as mountainous terrain or deep urban zones with minimal logistical support.

The FLRAA contract was awarded in December 2022 to Bell Textron Inc., a division of Textron Inc., with the V-280 Valor serving as the foundation for the MV-75 platform. The initial contract, valued at up to $1.3 billion, covers the engineering and manufacturing development phase, with future options potentially increasing the value significantly through low-rate production and full-scale fielding. The U.S. Army’s selection of Bell’s design followed a competitive evaluation focused on operational performance, modularity, and lifecycle cost.

This new aircraft is not only about technological advancement but also about preserving and enhancing the tactical legacy of the 101st Airborne Division. For over 80 years, the Screaming Eagles have been the spearhead of the U.S. Army’s rapid deployment capabilities, renowned for their speed, agility, and effectiveness in combat. With the introduction of the MV-75, the division secures its place at the forefront of next-generation warfare, gaining unmatched reach, flexibility, and lethality for operations in contested and complex theaters.

The new MV-75 tiltrotor aircraft will significantly enhance the core missions of U.S. airborne forces, particularly the rapid-deployment and deep-penetration assault operations central to the 101st Airborne Division. By delivering increased speed, extended operational range, and advanced digital integration, the MV-75 will enable the Screaming Eagles to insert troops faster, strike targets deeper behind enemy lines, and sustain tempo across dispersed battle zones. The aircraft’s agility, survivability, and adaptability will strengthen the division’s ability to seize key objectives, conduct expeditionary air assaults, and operate with greater effectiveness in complex, high-risk environments. As the next-generation assault platform, the MV-75 ensures the 101st Airborne remains the tip of the spear in future U.S. Army operations worldwide.