Defense & Aerospace Report Defense & Aerospace Air Power Podcast [Aug 28, 25] Season 3 E32: Under the Radar
Aug 28, 2025
Col. Jeff Poquette, Army program manager for the MV-75, and Ryan Ehinger, Bell's senior vice president, dive into the rapid advancements of the Army's next-gen tiltrotor. Design is nearly complete with a second generation on the horizon. They discuss how the program bypassed Milestone A and the innovative strategies employed to speed up defense innovation. Additionally, they tackle the competitive landscape with China's emerging aircraft, emphasizing the need for quick development and data protection in the aviation sector.
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Speed Plus Open Architecture
- The MV-75 pairs tiltrotor speed/range with a modular open systems architecture to enable rapid upgrades.
- Col. Jeff Poquette says MOSA lets industry plug in new tech faster and keeps pace with evolving threats.
Lean Government Oversight
- Give industry leeway to use commercial best-practices in design and test to accelerate delivery.
- Monitor closely but avoid bureaucratic holds that slow prototype progress, Col. Poquette advises.
Digital Backbone Lowers Risk
- Digital engineering and a MOSA-compliant digital backbone provided a confident foundation for rapid commitments.
- Ryan Ehinger says that MBSE and prior demonstrators lowered discovery risk entering development.