DECEMBER 2, 2025 — Soldiers from the Army Aviation community visited Redstone Arsenal this week giving critical feedback on the MV-75 Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, FLRAA, program via its new virtual prototype and virtual reality demonstrators.
The Soldiers were taking part in the special user evaluation, SUE, a critical, hands-on event to gather direct feedback from the user community regarding proposed design elements of the MV-75 FLRAA multi-mission aircraft. SUEs facilitate direct interaction between the design team and intended users: pilots, maintainers, and operational personnel. This week’s event is the fourth SUE the MV-75 FLRAA team has hosted and remains an essential component of the iterative design process.
Personnel from the Army National Guard, the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment participated in the event, including both rated and non-rated fixed and rotary-wing crew members. The week-long event included classroom instruction and simulated flight operations, giving the MV-75 FLRAA Project Office valuable operational insights that inform ongoing design decisions.
FLRAA’s Program Manager, Col. Jeffrey Poquette, emphasized the importance of early user engagement, stating, “The focus this week has been on ensuring FLRAA remains grounded in operational relevance through direct user interaction. We want to gather feedback from experienced users and some who will ultimately employ the aircraft, ensuring they have a voice in its development and feel a sense of ownership.”
In addition to time spent in the classroom focused on flight control characteristics, Soldiers rotated between the VP and VR demonstrators. The holistic approach familiarized them with the equipment before participating in test events later in the week.
During several events, Soldiers experienced realistic scenarios and shared their honest perspectives and insights. They evaluated the proposed inter-communications system Panel, the primary flight display page, engine/hydraulic/fuel/maintenance fault display page and other related aircraft sensors. They also reviewed cabin configuration options and other topics that the team presented.
During equipment evaluation, WO1 Benjamin Huff, Mississippi Army National Guard, emphasized the importance of adapting operational thinking to the MV-75’s multi-mission capabilities. “This week reinforced the value of contributing varying degrees of knowledge and experience to the platform’s ongoing development,” Huff said.
Maj. Nikolas Steele, FLRAA assistant project manager, has spent the last several months gathering data and identifying key design considerations for the MV-75 FLRAA team to present to this group of Soldiers. He anticipates that their feedback will inform upcoming design decisions and help integrate valuable suggestions into the final design.
Steele emphasized the importance of this process. “We are committed to thoroughly analyzing the results and feedback from these operational engagements over the next few months, and will subsequently provide recommendations for implementation,” he said.
Capt. Tyler Mason, Army National Guard CH-47 pilot, described the engagement with the MV-75 FLRAA Project Office as motivating. “Understanding the future capabilities being developed to deter the kind of fight that’s potentially on the horizon is valuable”, he said. “I’m returning to Mississippi looking forward to the opportunity to operate this platform one day.”
CW5 Brian McKnight, Lead MV-75 FLRAA Training Developer, traveled from Fort Rucker to support the SUE. “This SUE fostered collaborative discussion among subject matter experts, allowing for valuable input on the MV-75’s design,” he explained. “The positive reception to this new technology demonstrates a commitment to innovation and future integration.”
The MV-75 FLRAA team will prioritize Soldier and pilot input through a series of SUEs. According to Col. Poquette, these engagements are vital to ensuring the future aircraft not only meets requirements but is also easier and cheaper to sustain. “We are committed to designing and developing an aircraft that is optimized for the warfighter,” he stated.
By Heather Douglas
Program Executive Office – Aviation