"So, right now, for FASt, everything is on the table. Manned, unmanned, optionally-piloted, I think, are good avenues to take a look at. Conventional rotary‑wing, tiltrotor. Maybe there’s something else out there," Col. Scott Shadforth said at the Modern Day Marine conference.
Bell’s MV-75A Cheyenne II-derived tiltrotor shown in Marine markings
Bell displayed a model of a heavily armed MV-75 concept derived from the Army’s newly named MV-75A Cheyenne II at the 2026 Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, D.C. The model was painted in the markings of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 (HMLA‑267), a unit currently equipped with AH‑1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH‑1Y Venom armed utility helicopters. TWZ was in attendance to view the exhibit.
Armament: anti-ship cruise missiles, PASM, launched effects and a gun
The most immediately attention‑grabbing feature of the model is its armament. A single pylon on each of two stub wings between the cockpit and main wing carries different weapons: a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) on the left, and a pair of missiles intended to reflect the Marine Corps’ forthcoming Precision Attack Strike Munition (PASM) — a version of L3Harris’ Red Wolf — on the right. Bell told TWZ the stub wings could also accommodate AGM‑114 Hellfire missiles or APKWS II rockets.
Additional stores portrayed on the model include two launchers attached to the sides of each main landing gear sponson, which Bell said are intended to depict tubes for ALTIUS‑700M loitering munitions or similar launched effects. There are also five apertures on either side of the fuselage labeled as Common Launch Tube (CLT) openings, allowing additional munitions or drones to be fired from the body of the aircraft.
A three‑barrel Gatling‑type cannon or machine gun in a turret under the nose mirrors the M197 20mm Gatling‑type cannon fitted to Marine AH‑1Zs today; the reporting also references the XM915 as an improved, lightweight evolution of that cannon that had been expected for the Army’s canceled FARA program.
Airframe, sensors, refueling and performance claims
The model includes a nose sensor turret with twin large apertures for electro‑optical/infrared sensors and a retractable in‑flight refueling probe. Bell said the Army’s plans for in‑flight refueling capability for the Cheyenne II are still evolving and that a special operations MV‑75 variant is expected to carry the feature.
Bill Hendricks, Senior Strategy Manager at Bell, told TWZ there are placement restrictions for forward‑firing weapons because they must clear the rotor tip path plane and fit within the fuselage. He added Bell assumed the Marines would want to employ ordnance while in airplane mode with the nacelles forward and that the conceptual weapons shown could be fired in that configuration. Bell also asserted that an MV‑75 variant with internal fuel "would still have a range, after a short takeoff or a running takeoff, in excess of 1,000 nautical miles."
Operational tradeoffs and shipboard concepts
Bell and others have previously shown navalized tiltrotor concepts based on the V‑280/MV‑75 family. Earlier proposals included folding main wings and rotors to reduce shipboard footprint — Bell said the stowed V‑280 configuration could be small enough to fit inside Arleigh Burke‑class destroyer hangars — and concepts pairing manned tiltrotors with Bell’s uncrewed V‑247 Vigilant. Renderings shown in prior pitches even depicted a V‑247 carrying Joint Strike Missiles, a design derived from the NSM.
Bell’s Hendricks told TWZ he can see a conceptual case for Navy adoption for sea control, ASW, or ASuW mission sets because a tiltrotor would outperform the speed and range of an H‑60 in his view, giving "more operational reach." The source reports the Navy has been exploring options for MH‑60 and MQ‑8C replacements but, at least in the near term, "seems to be leaning more toward a major evolution of the Seahawk platform rather than an entirely new platform."
What this means for the Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy, and Bell
- Marine Corps: The MV‑75 concept joins a wide set of options under the Future Attack Strike (FASt) effort, which Col. Scott Shadforth described as deliberately open to manned, unmanned, and optionally‑piloted ideas as the service seeks replacements for the AH‑1Z and UH‑1Y and to help fill gaps created by AV‑8B and legacy F/A‑18C/D retirements.
- U.S. Navy: Naval leaders will weigh whether a tiltrotor’s range and speed justify shipboard adaptations; Bell has previously proposed navalized variants and ship‑stowage features to address footprint limits.
- Bell: The company is restating a long‑running sales and concept campaign — presenting MV‑75/V‑280‑based options that range from maritime strike to paired manned‑unmanned operations — while highlighting claims on range, payload flexibility, and shipboard compatibility.
The MV‑75 concept on display is a concrete reminder that the Marines have left major design choices open as they define FASt requirements. The model shows one pathway — a larger, faster, longer‑ranged tiltrotor carrying cruise missiles, launched effects and a gun — but also underscores the tradeoffs the Corps must weigh: new capabilities versus larger size and higher cost, and shipboard integration versus ashore performance. Whether the Marine Corps, or the Navy for its own missions, will accept those tradeoffs remains an explicit question as requirements are refined.
Source: The War Zone — New Cruise Missile-Armed MV-75 Tiltrotor Concept For The Marines Shown Off
