Cristiano Ronaldo will embark on a sixth World Cup at the age of 41 after Portugal coach Roberto Martinez named him in a 27-man squad for the tournament, with a symbolic “plus one” in memory of the late Diogo Jota.
Speaking at Cidade do Futebol before a packed auditorium on Tuesday, Martinez confirmed that fourth-choice goalkeeper Ricardo Velho, of Genclerbirligi Ankara, will travel with the squad, but can only be added to the official 26-man list in the event of an injury to one of the three registered keepers.
Portugal, the reigning Nations League champions, open their Group K campaign at the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 17 in Houston.
They then face Uzbekistan at the same venue on June 23 and conclude the group stage against Colombia in Miami on June 27. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19.
Martinez said his selection comprised “27 players plus one”, a reference to Liverpool forward Jota, who died in a car accident in July last year, aged 28.
“He is our strength, our joy,” Martinez said. “Losing Diogo was an unforgettable and very difficult moment, but the very next day, it was up to all of us to fight for Diogo’s dream and for the example he always set in our national team. Diogo Jota’s spirit, strength and example are the +1 and will always be the +1.”
Portugal’s head coach Roberto Martinez announces the squad [Armando Franca/AP]
The coach defended his decision to name four goalkeepers and five fullbacks, while leaving out players including Mateus Fernandes, Ricardo Horta and Pedro Goncalves.
“The complexity of the tournament is very important – the demands of the weather, the time zone, everything we already experienced in March,” Martinez said. “There are positions where we need to have more than two players per position. And we need five fullbacks.”
He highlighted the versatility of Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo and Matheus Nunes, and pointed to attacking options such as Joao Felix, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Francisco Trincao operating between the lines, with Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao providing width.
Martinez added that Velho understood his role as a training goalkeeper, noting that FIFA rules only permit replacement in the event of injury during the tournament.
Portugal warm up against Chile in Oeiras on June 6 and Nigeria in Leiria on June 10. FIFA has stipulated that the squad must be in their Palm Beach, Florida training camp at least five days before their opening match.
Portugal World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP); Ricardo Velho (Genclerbirligi Ankara);
Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samuel Costa (Mallorca), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Forwards: Joao Felix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceicao (Juventus), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad), Goncalo Ramos (PSG); Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
1 of 5 | Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan jams for two of his game-high 50 points during fourth-quarter action November 21, 1997, to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 111-102 in two overtimes. On May 16, 1985, the NBA named Jordan rookie of the year after he led all players in points. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
On this date in history:
In 1804, the French Senate declared Napoleon Bonaparte emperor.
In 1871, U.S. Marines landed in Korea in an attempt to open the country to foreign trade.
In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had its first Academy Awards ceremony. Wings was named Best Picture in the event at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
In 1932, following the assassination of Premier Inukai Tsuyoshi, fears began to spread that a militarist “super-party” was beginning to take shape in Japan.
File Photo courtesy of the Japan’s National Diet Library
In 1969, the unmanned Soviet spacecraft Venera 5 landed on Venus.
In 1985, the NBA named the Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan rookie of the year after he led all players in points.
In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address a joint session of Congress.
UPI File Photo
In 1997, Mobutu Sese Seko — who ruled Zaire for more than 30 years, allegedly looting it of billions of dollars — fled the capital as rebel forces advanced. He died in exile less than four months later.
In 2014, election results in India gave Narenda Modi and his opposition Bharatiya Janata Party a major victory elevating him to prime minister.
In 2019, the final episode of The Big Bang Theory aired after a 12-season run. The comedy series starred Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard), Kunal Nayyar (Raj), Melissa Rauch (Bernadette) and Mayim Bialik (Amy).
ATLANTA — The Department of Justice is seeking the names of every person who worked in the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold that Donald Trump has long accused of widespread voter fraud he falsely says cost him victory against Joe Biden in the state that year.
Lawyers for the county filed a motion on Monday night to quash a grand jury subpoena that asks for the names and personal contact information of county employees and volunteer poll workers. This latest action comes after the FBI in January went to a Fulton County elections warehouse and seized ballots and other documents from the 2020 election, which Georgia’s certified totals showed Trump lost in the state to Biden by 11,779 votes out of nearly 5 million cast. Trump, a Republican, still insists the election was stolen from him even though judges and his own attorney general concluded otherwise.
Monday’s court filing says the subpoena is meant to “target, harass and punish the President’s perceived political opponents.” The request is “grossly overbroad and untethered to any reasonable need,” the county’s lawyers argue. It “cannot yield any evidence that could result in a criminal prosecution,” they wrote, arguing that the statute of limitations on any federal crime related to the 2020 election has already expired.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.
County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts, in an emailed statement, called the subpoena “yet another act of outrageous federal overreach designed to intimidate and chill participation in elections.”
“Let me be crystal clear. Fulton County will not be intimidated,” said Pitts, a Democrat who’s running for reelection.
Since the 2020 election, Trump “has obsessively propagated the debunked conspiracy theory that Fulton County ‘stole’ the 2020 election from him,” the county’s lawyers wrote. “And he has made it clear that he seeks retribution against those who refuse to indulge his baseless claims.”
Trump has already targeted individual poll workers like Ruby Freeman, who was attacked by him and his supporters after the election. Freeman, who’s Black, has said she was forced to flee her home after false claims of election fraud against her led to racist threats and strangers showing up at her home.
The grand jury subpoena, dated April 17, was served on the county’s director of elections on April 20, the county’s court filing says. It seeks the “name, position/function, residential and email addresses, and personal telephone number(s)” for thousands of election workers “ranging from county employees who assisted on election day, to bus drivers who operated a mobile voting location, to volunteers and temporary poll workers,” the filing says.
The subpoena “is a chilling escalation in the campaign to terrorize Fulton County election workers,” the county’s lawyers wrote, adding that threats arising from the current political environment have caused election workers to “fear for their physical safety.” That and other stresses “including the likelihood of being scapegoated by public officials” are causing election workers to leave their jobs “in unprecedented numbers,” they wrote.
The county’s lawyers note that the subpoena directs the county to provide the records not to the grand jury but to an out-of-state Justice Department lawyer or to the FBI agent who wrote the affidavit used for the seizure of the county’s 2020 ballots in January.
The January seizure of the ballots and other records from Fulton County was one in a string of moves by Trump’s administration to obtain past election records from critical swing states. The FBI in March used a subpoena to get records related to an audit of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County in Arizona. And the Justice Department in April demanded that Michigan’s Wayne County turn over its ballots from the 2024 election, which Trump won against Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris.
The Justice Department is also fighting numerous states in court for access to voter data that includes sensitive personal information. Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.
The German national has amassed a staggering 2.9 million followers on social media as he shares his globe-trotting adventures with his fans. But he has now named the countries he believes are “overrated”.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “Egypt, France, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, most of the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. They’re often very touristy and often don’t have much besides pretty beaches.”
Luca explained that a number of the Baltic countries were “underrated” along with the likes of Uzbekistan, Myanmar, and most of the countries in Latin America. He says the nations people “forget exist” are often “way more exciting and more affordable” than classic destinations.
He described Bhutan and Myanmar as “really unknown” and “some of the prettiest countries in the world”. Many of Luca’s fans on his thegermantravelguy channel were left annoyed by his assessment of Egypt, claiming he “must have visited the wrong places”.
The keen traveller was also asked which European nation he believes is the most dangerous. He went on to say that Belgium feels “super unsafe” at night, branding the country as “pretty ugly” and “grey”.
He also named Paris, London and Frankfurt as destinations he believes are more dangerous. Luca also urges holidaymakers to avoid countries such as France, Italy, and Greece.
This he explains is because there are “40 other countries worth being explored” across Europe. He added: “It’s surprising how little recognition places such as Montenegro or Slovenia get. They are some of the most beautiful countries in the world – and cheap – but nobody visits them.”
When asked to pick his favourite country, Luca says he doesn’t have just one, but instead has nine top travel destinations. They were Mexico, Brazil, Israel, Spain, Bhutan, UK, the UAE, Portugal and Austria.
He however says Lisbon in Portugal is his favourite city in Europe. In a video on TikTok, Luca said: “It’s honestly so gorgeous.
“I honestly love Lisbon, I was thinking of moving here at some point but not at the moment.
“I love coming back here and trying all of the vegan Portuguese food like vegan pastel de nata. It’s one of my favorite cities, maybe my favourite city in Europe, Lisbon, it’s gorgeous and has everything you need.”
An estimated five million people travel from the UK to Italy on holiday each year – and chef Vincenzo Prosperi has named the one authentic city that should be on every traveller’s radar
15:01, 29 Apr 2026Updated 15:01, 29 Apr 2026
A chef says Bari is an ‘authentic’ Italian destination(Image: Getty)
An Italian chef has highlighted an “authentic” city worth visiting – and it’s not Milan, Venice or Florence. The recommendation comes as roughly five million Britons jet off to Italy for holidays each year.
While countless holidaymakers head for coastal spots like Puglia or Rimini, the nation is equally renowned for its stunning city escapes. According to chef Vincenzo Prosperi, known as Vincenzo Plates online, there’s one particular city that offers a genuine taste of Italy.
Vincenzo champions Bari on the Adriatic Sea as an “old town where the nonnas make pasta on the sea”. In a YouTube video, he said: “A really wonderful city.
“It has really improved in the last 10 years. It is one of the best places to see in the south of Italy. This is authentic, this is great.”
Boasting just over 315,000 residents, Bari ranks amongst the most significant cities in southern Italy. It serves as both a breathtaking Mediterranean port and a thriving university hub, reports the Express.
Bari divides into separate districts. The old town, known as Bari Vecchia, comprises a maze of ancient streets housing the historic Basilica of Saint Nicholas, which originates from the 11th century.
The delightful Piazza del Ferrarese gazes out over the Augusto Imperatore waterfront while its palm-lined avenues provide the ideal fusion of historic town and contemporary seafront. Its name derives from a Ferrara merchant who resided there during the 1600s and maintained his warehouses on the square.
Remnants of a Roman road stretching back to the 2nd century lie cordoned off on the piazza. Nowadays tourists can savour a peaceful moment while observing the vibrant boats gently rocking in the harbour.
Meanwhile, the Murak Quarter, constructed under Joachim Murat, serves as the pulsating centre of contemporary Bari. It’s renowned for its orderly grid pattern of streets, thriving retail area, and lively café scene.
Its energetic character stands in stark contrast to the ancient old town. Travel authority Mark Wolters advises that anyone visiting Bari must head to Strada Arco Bass where residents prepare orecchiette pasta right on the street.
In a YouTube video, he said: “When you come here, you’re going to see there’s a street where all these grandmas, all these ladies, are making orecchiette, they’re making a special kind of pasta from here.”
He added: “We bought two bags for like five euros and it was so worth it. We got to see the lady and she was making them and they had them out there, it was a really cool thing.”
Mark also urges travellers to Bari to try the focaccia barese – a bread crafted from mashed potato and semolina flour. He said: “Focaccia is like a really fluffy, almost like a pizza-bread dough bread, and in it they put tomatoes and olives and it is fantastic, it’s a really special one from here.”
The expert advises that anyone keen on embarking on a road trip around the wider Puglia region should pick up a hire car at Bari airport before exploring the surrounding area. He explains that you “don’t want to drive” in the city itself, particularly around the old town.
Flights from the UK to Bari start at around £70 on Skyscanner. During the summer months, temperatures can soar to as high as 30C, with May typically seeing highs of around 23C.
We focus on the story of Agnes (played by Chase Infiniti), the biological daughter of Handmaid’s Tale main character June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss). She grows up in Gilead completely content with the brutal system, but her life is turned upside down when new resident Daisy (Lucy Halliday) joins Aunt Lydia’s (Ann Dowd) school for wives.
Although she seems like just another student, Daisy is secretly a spy working with June and Mayday agents to overthrow Gilead.
Viewers have also been introduced to the Aunts responsible for educating the young women. But what’s the story behind their unusual names?
How do Aunts in The Testaments get their names?
The Aunts in The Testaments are named after commercial products that were popular among women in the pre-Gilead era.
It’s revealed in Margaret Atwood’s novels that the founding commanders introduced this tradition in an attempt to ease the transition into Gilead.
Each Aunt picks their name from a list of product names that are “familiar and reassuring” to them. These include the “names of cosmetic lines, cake mixes, frozen desserts, and even medicinal remedies”.
This is why the Aunts have unique names such as Aunt Estee (Eva Foote), seemingly named after Estee Lauder, or Aunt Gabbana (Zarrin Darnell-Martin), derived from Dolce and Gabbana.
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*Warning: Mild spoilers for The Testaments novel.*
But these brand names only hold meaning to the older generations living in Gilead. In The Testaments novel, main character Becka (Mattea Conforti) becomes an Aunt. She later learns about the “approved list” of names she can choose from for her new role.
Atwood writes: “Becka said the names were made from the names of products women had liked once and would be reassured by, but she herself did not know what those products were. Nobody our age knew, she said.”
Since Becka and Agnes have been raised in Gilead, they don’t have the same connection to the gender-specific brand names.
Getting some rest on a long-haul flight can be tough, but a flight attendant with 27 years’ experience shares her top sleep hacks – including how seat choice makes all the difference
These methods can help you sleep easier(Image: Oscar Wong via Getty Images)
The summer holidays are just around the corner, and if you’re among the millions of Britons preparing to jet off abroad, there’s one crucial detail you need to be aware of. For those fortunate enough to be taking long-haul flights, catching any shut-eye during the journey is often considered an impossible feat — but that’s not strictly accurate.
Sherry Peters, an international flight attendant with 27 years’ experience and founder of Atlas + Wild, has revealed her top tips for managing to sleep on flights — and much of it hinges on where you’re seated.
She said: “Seats near the galley or toilets are the absolute worst if you’re trying to sleep. There’s constant foot traffic, people queuing, lavatory doors slamming, and constant crew activity, it’s almost impossible to get uninterrupted rest.”
She advises securing a seat as far from this area as you can — and if possible, try to bag a window seat for a better shot at some proper rest, reports the Express.
She said: “Being next to the window gives you much more control over your environment, which is key to falling asleep.
“You can close the shade, lean against the wall for support, and avoid being elbowed by people passing in the aisle. It’s one of the closest things to a controlled sleep environment on a plane, even if you only have one or two hours, it makes a huge difference.”
Peters explained that many travellers mistakenly assume sleep will simply happen naturally — but when you’re squeezed into an economy seat, you need to actively work at getting yourself to drift off.
There are, however, a few techniques you can use to fool your brain into getting some rest.
She said: “Most people blame jet lag or the flight itself, but often it comes down to how to control your environment and if you are staying hydrated.
“I may not be able to control the time of day, but I can control noise and light by closing the window shades and using noise-cancelling headsets. I may not be able to control that I’m surrounded by 300 people who are wide awake, but I can control how much I get jostled. That’s how I trick my body into thinking it’s time to sleep, even mid-flight.”
Shutting the window blind the moment the plane takes off, paired with an eye mask and a neck pillow, can significantly reduce light and boost comfort.
Opting for a window seat allows you to lean against the side of the cabin for a more restful position, giving you the best chance of grabbing a few hours of much-needed kip.
Peters said: “Even if I only have one, two, or three hours, every minute matters. I use various strategies to maximise rest wherever I am, planes, trains and hotels.”
Ryanair was established in 1985 and has gone onto become one of the most popular airlines in the world, thanks to its budget-friendly flights. Now, the airline has shared the one mistake passengers always make
Jess Flaherty Senior News Reporter
03:31, 19 Apr 2026
Ryanair has revealed the number one mistake passengers continue to make (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
Ryanair has detailed the one mistake the average passenger continues to make and it’s caused quite a stir. The budget-friendly airline is famed for its reasonably priced flights, boldly declaring on its website that it offers “Europe’s lowest fares”.
Founded in 1985 by Irish aviation executive Christopher Ryan and Irish billionaire businessman and philanthropist Tony Ryan, the company was named after its founders. Today, it boasts a fleet of more than 600 planes.
Like many companies, Ryanair maintains a consistent presence on social media. In a recent video posted on TikTok, the airline humorously poked fun at a common travel blunder many people are guilty of making – packing suitcases which are too large.
All Ryanair fares “include one small personal bag (40cm x 30cm x 20cm) that must fit under the seat”, which may be a handbag or a laptop bag.
Ryanair’s baggage policy states: “Additional options include Priority boarding with a second 10kg cabin bag, checked bags of 10kg, 20kg (up to 3), or 23kg (1 allowed).
“Infants have no cabin allowance but may bring a 5kg baby bag and two baby equipment items free.”
But it seems some passengers fail to check the size of their bags. In the TikTok clip, an animated image of a man holding a comically oversized bag could be seen moving across the screen towards the check-in desk.
Text written over the top of the footage branded the man an “average Ryanair passenger”. In a voiceover, he is told: “Your bag is too big, sir.”
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The voiceover then detailed a string of excuses and responses Ryanair staff often hear, including “it fit at home”, “this is unfair”, “how could you do this?” and “I’m never flying Ryanair again”.
The lighthearted video has, so far, gained 245,900 views and hundreds of comments. One TikTok user said: “It is like their first time every time! Never ceases to amaze me. It is not as if you don’t get enough reminders either as to what you have booked and paid for…”
Another jokingly asked: “What bag should I bring then?????????” A third shared: “My uncle does that.” To which, Ryanair replied: “He will be charged.”
But someone else quipped: “Does paying extra at the gate magically make the bag smaller/lighter?”
One person said: “At the gate they say that you can carry 2 bags a person though.” Another quipped: “I’ll just travel by unicorn instead.”
The low-cost Irish airline is headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. Based on the annual number of international passengers carried, the fleet size and the number of flights, Ryanair is the largest airline in the world. It’s the second-largest airline worldwide based on market capitalisation after Delta Air Lines.
It boasts a fleet of 613 planes, including 26 leased aircraft.
Approximately 95% of aircrafts used by Ryanair are single-aisle Boeing 737s. The 737-8-200 was designed by Boeing specifically for Ryanair in order to help the company carry more people at a lower cost per passenger.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The Cold War-era Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne might have been plagued with issues, but there’s no doubt it was among the world’s most advanced helicopters of its day. The AH-56 was so fast, and its features so ahead of their time, that the U.S. Army has decided to port over its name for its highly anticipated MV-75 tiltrotor, now officially named the Cheyenne II. The name also continues the Army’s tradition of naming its helicopters after great Native American tribes, and will find its place among icons like the Apache, Chinook, and Lakota.
A rendering shows a pair of MV-75s, now named Cheyenne II. Bell
The Bell V-280 Valor was developed for the Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technical Demonstrator program as a precursor to the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). Bell/Matthew Ryan
The rollout took place today at the Army Aviation Association of America’s Army Aviation Warfighting Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. Speaking to journalists, including TWZ, before that event, Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, the commanding general of the Army Aviation Center and Portfolio Acquisition Executive — Expanded Maneuver Air, announced the MV-75’s rollout as “a pivotal moment for Army Aviation, for our soldiers.”
In keeping with other Army rotorcraft, the MV-75’s name also honors a Native American tribe (more accurately, two tribes), the Cheyenne.
As Maj. Gen. Gill explained: This name reflects more than heritage. It reflects identity. The Cheyenne people inhabited the Great Plains for 400 years, adapting to a harsh and unforgiving environment as highly proficient hunters and gatherers. Their way of life required constant mobility, organized around nomadic buffalo hunting, enabling them to assemble, disassemble, and move quickly to meet the demands of their environment. In many aspects, that same ability to rapidly organize, reposition, and operate with precision is reflected in the MV-75 platform.”
“Life in that environment demanded resilience and strength,” Gill continued. “Tribes navigated rivalries, dirt, conflict, and adapted as Westward expansion reshaped the landscape around them. Today, the Cheyenne are represented by the Northern Cheyenne tribe in Montana, in the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in Oklahoma, whose legacy reflects the proud and enduring warrior tradition, ground and protection, provision and leadership. Those values demand capability, and in today’s fight, that capability comes in the form of speed, range, lethality, and adaptability. That spirit of mobility, resilience, and disciplined strength is what the name Cheyenne II represents.”
As for the other, historical Cheyenne, the AH-56, this was a first-generation attack helicopter drafted during the Vietnam War. Most impressively for the time, the helicopter could hit a 224-mile-per-hour cruise speed and dash at speeds up to 240 miles per hour, driven by a nearly 4,000-horsepower turbine engine and a pusher propeller on the tail boom.
F 03873 US Army Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne multi weapon attack Helicopter
While it boasted incredible performance and was packed full of advanced features, the AH-56 was destined for failure. A combination of technical issues, program management shortfalls, changing procurement priorities, high cost, and a fatal crash in 1969 saw the program terminated. But despite never entering service, the Cheyenne left a profound impact on the concept of close air support and attack helicopter design and today holds a special place in military aviation history.
On the other hand, there are plenty of obvious differences between the AH-56 and the MV-75, not least their missions. They also had different prime contractors, and, the Army must hope, will have very different outcomes.
Maj. Gen. Gill continued: “What the [AH-56] Cheyenne was when it was initially conceived in the 1960s was a transformational leap ahead in technology. It was a rotorcraft when we were still learning how helicopters flew and how we could get the maximum utility, speed, and range out of them. And the Cheyenne, at the time that it was developed, was completely different. It had a pusher prop on it that allowed it to achieve speeds that we hadn’t seen before. You could draw a lot of parallels between going from the current fleet of rotorcraft that we fly, that is really 1960s, 1970s-era technology … to what we’re doing with the tiltrotor technology. Twice as far, twice as fast, vertical takeoff and landing, but flying at airplane speeds. You can certainly draw the metaphor there if you want, between the AH-56 back in the late 1960s and the MV-75 today.”
AH-56 Cheyenne firing rockets. U.S. Army
Continuing on the transformational theme, Brent G. Ingraham, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, provided his assessment of the MV-75, describing it as “a generational capability for the Army,” and one that “truly fundamentally changes how commanders think about distance, time, and maneuver on the battlefield.”
Ingraham continued: “It combines the vertical lift of a helicopter with the speed and range of an airplane, allowing us to project combat power from safer distances, penetrate deeper into contested environments, and deliver soldiers where they are needed most, faster than we ever have before.”
For the soldier, this means “restoring full-squad insertion at extended range, expanding medevac reach well beyond today’s Golden Hour, enabling large-scale, long-range air assault operations that can reshape the battlefield,” Ingraham added. Just as critically, the Cheyenne II will be able to self-deploy globally, reducing cost, complexity, and response time in a crisis. This is also especially relevant for future operations in the Indo-Pacific region, where operating locations and objectives are likely to be dispersed across large areas with limited options for making intermediate stops.
A rendering of an MV-75 launching drones. Bell
Ingraham also noted another key aspect of the program, namely the incredibly aggressive schedule to get it into service. Claiming the program as an “acquisition success story,” he described the team moving “with urgency while maintaining discipline.”
The MV-75 is designed around a modular, open-systems approach, with a digital backbone that should make it easier to adapt and upgrade as the program evolves.
“That means we can rapidly integrate new technologies, adapt to emerging threats, and avoid the costly redesigns of the past,” Ingraham said.
Soldiers are gaining hands-on experience with the future MV-75 through an immersive Virtual Prototype at Redstone Arsenal. U.S. Army/Matthew Ryan
Ingraham confirmed that the fielding timeline is being accelerated, which means the first Cheyenne II unit should be equipped in Fiscal Year 2030. Exactly how realistic that ambition is is something that we will discuss in a follow-on story.
As Ingraham said, speed matters, not just in the air, but in acquisition as well.
“We did it through strong partnerships across industry, the requirements community, and our operational units like the 101st [The 101st Airborne Division, the Army’s premier air assault unit, and the first unit set to get MV-75s], ensuring this platform is not just technologically advanced, but operationally relevant from day one. Simply put, the MV-75 Cheyenne II is how we deliver capability at the speed of relevance.”
For a rotary-wing program that puts a lot of emphasis on speed, its new Cheyenne II name is especially appropriate. Let’s just hope its warp-speed development doesn’t end the same way as its partial namesake.
