Sen. Moran Leads Colleagues in Urging Support for Cheyenne II Army Helicopter Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense – and U.S. Representative Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13) – a member of the House Armed Services Committee – today led more than 80 of their Senate and House colleagues in urging U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought to maintain support for the U.S. Army’s MV-75 Cheyenne program. Specifically, the members called on the administration to continue prioritizing and advancing the MV-75 Cheyenne program, which is currently manufactured at Bell Textron’s plant in Wichita. The MV-75 is a critical part of the Army’s aviation modernization efforts and will bolster military preparedness to help meet the challenges of the future. “We write to express our support for the Army's MV-75 Cheyenne program and underscore its importance as a critical element of the Department of War's efforts to modernize the Joint Force,” wrote the members. “As the Department's sole active vertical lift development program and a top modernization priority, the MV-75 is essential to ensuring our warfighters maintain decisive overmatch in contested environments.” Sen. Moran and Rep. Jackson were joined by Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), as well as more than 80 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Reps. Ron Estes (R-KS-04), Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) and Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02). Full text of the letter can be found here and below. Dear Secretary Hegseth and Director Vought, We write to express our support for the Army's MV-75 Cheyenne program and underscore its importance as a critical element of the Department of War's efforts to modernize the Joint Force. As the Department's sole active vertical lift development program and a top modernization priority, the MV-75 is essential to ensuring our warfighters maintain decisive overmatch in contested environments. While the Department has made significant progress advancing sixth-generation fighters and bombers, current rotary-wing fleets are based on designs from the 1970's and 1980's. These aircraft simply do not have the range or speed required to dominate and survive at the forward edge of an increasingly lethal and expanded battlefield. The modern threat landscape demands a transformative leap-ahead in vertical lift capability. The MV-75 Cheyenne delivers this advantage through advanced tiltrotor technology, providing the speed, range, and cross-continental reach required for global force projection coupled with runway independence. Operationally, the MV-75 fundamentally transforms Joint Force capabilities for force projection, maneuver, and logistics. The program's unmatched speed and range also significantly compresses medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) timelines, dramatically extending life-saving efforts in the "Golden Hour." By operating faster and farther, with a reduced logistical footprint, the MV-75 allows for unprecedented operational agility across multiple missions while drastically increasing survivability by reducing exposure in high-lethality zones. Furthermore, we strongly support the program's direct advancement of key Department and Congressional acquisition reform priorities, including: Open Systems Approach: The MV-75's Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and established "right to repair" protocols enable a plug-and-play environment. This breaks "vendor lock," enables rapid capability upgrades, and lowers lifecycle sustainment costs. Joint-Service Synergies: The technological foundations of the MV-75 will directly inform future requirements for the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, and Special Operations Command (SOCOM). These cross-service commonalities will guarantee substantial developmental cost-avoidance for the American taxpayer. Advanced Digital Manufacturing: The program's transition away from legacy, analog factory processes to state-of-the-art digital manufacturing centers sets a new benchmark for defense production efficiency and long-term cost containment. Industrial Base Resilience: With a $3.5 billion economic footprint across 39 states, the MV-75 program sustains more than 15,000 domestic engineering and advanced manufacturing jobs that are vital to our defense industrial base. Industry Investment: The MV-75 is transforming rotorcraft manufacturing, leveraging more than $1.5 billion in industry investment in digital engineering and modeling, critical flight technologies, advanced manufacturing, and production facilitization. The MV-75 Cheyenne is a foundational capability for both current and future generations of American warfighters. We respectfully urge the Administration to continue to prioritize and advance this critical leap-ahead in vertical lift for the Joint Force. Thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to strengthening our national defense. # # #