REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL – The Project Office for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) executed a critical design iteration of the Army’s next-generation assault aircraft, the MV-75 Cheyenne, at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama during a Special User Evaluation (SUE). Over the course of a week in mid-May, a diverse team of operators from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), engineers, and trainers gathered to focus on a critical aspect of modern aviation: the pilot display system and its impact on cognitive workload.
Welcoming the group, Col. Jeffrey Poquette, project manager for FLRAA, highlighted the unique capabilities this new assault tiltrotor will bring to the battlefield. He emphasized that the insights gathered during this intensive week-long session will directly inform the detailed design of the MV-75 Cheyenne and will shape decisions leading up to the first flight and eventual delivery to the 101st Airborne Division.
Collaborative, operator-focused approach
This was not just a technical exercise – it was a collaborative effort designed to put operators at the center of the design process. Leading the effort was Tia Larsen-Calcano, a Human Factors engineer in PM FLRAA, and Maj. Craig Hunninghake, FLRAA assistant program manager. Participants included pilots and crew from the 101st Airborne Division, subject matter experts from the Army Aviation Center of Excellence/Operational Test Directorate, and representatives from the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command, and the Army’s Aviation Flight Test Directorate. This cross-functional team structure ensured that the evaluation captured a wide range of operational perspectives, from those who will fly and fight in the MV-75 to those responsible for training, testing, and integrating the aircraft into Army formations.
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