The most important helicopter produced by Hughes Aircraft Division prior to the company's acquisition by McDonnell Douglas in 1984 was the two-seat, light-observation helicopter (LOH) Model 369, the company's entry into the U.S. Army's 1963 LOH competition. Initially called "Loach," an adaptation of its acronym, it was officially called the "Cayuse." It was also know as the "Flying Egg," and when equipped for combat, the helicopters were known as "Killer Eggs." The modern-day OH-6 variants flown by the U.S. Army's Special Operations Forces are known as "Little Birds," and because of their ability to strike undetected during darkness, earned Task Force 160 the right to call themselves "Night Stalkers." The commercial version was the Hughes 500, which became the MD 500 series after McDonnell Douglas acquired Hughes Helicopters in January 1984.