The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission,
tiltrotor
A tiltrotor is an aircraft which generates lift and propulsion by way of one or more powered rotors (sometimes called ''proprotors'') mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles usually at the ends of a fixed wing. Almost all tiltrotors use a trans ...
military aircraft
A military aircraft is any Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing or rotorcraft, rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:
* Combat aircraft are ...
with both vertical takeoff and landing (
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-wi ...
) and short takeoff and landing (
STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh condi ...
) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
with the long-range, high-speed
cruise
A cruise is any travel on a cruise ship.
Cruise or Cruises may also refer to:
Tourism
* Booze cruise
* Music cruise
* River cruise
Aeronautics and aircraft
* Cruise (aeronautics), a distinct stage of an aircraft's flight
* Aviasouz Cruise, a R ...
performance of a
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
aircraft.
In 1980, the failure of
Operation Eagle Claw (during the
Iran hostage crisis
On November 4, 1979, 52 United States diplomats and citizens were held hostage after a group of militarized Iranian college students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over ...
) underscored that there were military roles for which neither conventional helicopters nor fixed-wing transport aircraft were well-suited. The
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
(DoD) initiated a program to develop an innovative transport aircraft with long-range, high-speed, and vertical-takeoff capabilities, and the Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) program officially commenced in 1981. A partnership between
Bell Helicopter
Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, as well as commercial helicopters in M ...
and
Boeing Helicopters was awarded a development contract in 1983 for the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft. The Bell Boeing team jointly produces the aircraft.
[ The V-22 first flew in 1989 and began flight testing and design alterations; the complexity and difficulties of being the first tiltrotor for military service led to many years of development.
The ]United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...
(USMC) began crew training for the MV-22B Osprey in 2000 and fielded it in 2007; it supplemented and then replaced their Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight
The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem-rotor transport helicopter powered by twin turboshaft engines. It was designed by Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol following Vertol's acquisition by Boeing.
Development o ...
s. The U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
(USAF) fielded its version of the tiltrotor, the CV-22B, in 2009. Since entering service with the Marine Corps and Air Force, the Osprey has been deployed in transportation and medevac
Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...
operations over Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Kuwait. The U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
planned to use the CMV-22B for carrier onboard delivery
Carrier onboard delivery (COD) is the use of aircraft to ferry personnel, mail, supplies, and high-priority cargo, such as replacement parts, from shore bases to an aircraft carrier at sea. Several types of aircraft, including helicopters, have ...
duties beginning in 2021.
Development
Origins
The failure of Operation Eagle Claw, the Iran hostage rescue mission, in 1980 demonstrated to the United States military a need[Kreisher, Otto]
"Finally, the Osprey"
''Air Force Magazine
The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, it ...
'', February 2009. for "a new type of aircraft, that could not only take off and land vertically but also could carry combat troops, and do so at speed."[Mackenzie, Richard (writer)]
"Flight of the V-22 Osprey" (Television production)
''Mackenzie Productions'' for ''Military Channel
American Heroes Channel (formerly Military Channel and originally Discovery Wings Channel) is an American multinational pay television television network, channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The n ...
'', 7 April 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2009. The U.S. Department of Defense began the JVX aircraft program in 1981, under U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
leadership.[
The defining mission of the USMC has been to perform an amphibious landing; the service quickly became interested in the JVX program. Recognizing that a concentrated force was vulnerable to a single ]nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
, airborne solutions with good speed and range allowed for rapid dispersal, and their CH-46 Sea Knights were wearing out. Without replacement, the USMC and the Army merging was a lingering threat, akin to President Truman's proposal following World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The Office of the Secretary of Defense and Navy administration opposed the tiltrotor project, but congressional pressure proved persuasive.
The Navy and USMC were given the lead in 1983.[Norton 2004, p. 35.][Moyers, Al (Director of History and Research)]
"The Long Road: AFOTEC's Two-Plus Decades of V-22 Involvement"
''Headquarters Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, United States Air Force'', 1 August 2007. The JVX combined requirements from the USMC, USAF, Army and Navy.[Norton 2004, pp. 22–30.] A request for proposals was issued in December 1982 for preliminary design work. Interest was expressed by Aérospatiale, Bell Helicopter, Boeing Vertol, Grumman
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a 20th century American producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6, 1929, by Leroy Grumman and his business partners, it merged in 1994 ...
, Lockheed, and Westland Westland or Westlands may refer to:
Places
*Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya
* Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme
*Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila ...
. Contractors were encouraged to form teams. Bell partnered with Boeing Vertol to submit a proposal for an enlarged version of the Bell XV-15 prototype on 17 February 1983. Being the only proposal received, a preliminary design contract was awarded on 26 April 1983.[Norton 2004, pp. 31–33.]
The JVX aircraft was designated ''V-22 Osprey'' on 15 January 1985; by that March, the first six prototypes were being produced, and Boeing Vertol was expanded to handle the workload. Work was split evenly between Bell and Boeing. Bell Helicopter manufactures and integrates the wing, nacelles, rotors, drive system, tail surfaces, and aft ramp, as well as integrates the Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
engines and performs final assembly. Boeing Helicopters manufactures and integrates the fuselage, cockpit, avionics, and flight controls.["V-22 Osprey Backgrounder"]
''Boeing Defense, Space & Security'', February 2010.["Military Aircraft: The Bell-Boeing V-22"]
''Bell Helicopter'', 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2010. The USMC variant received the MV-22 designation, and the USAF variant received CV-22; this was reversed from normal procedure to prevent USMC Ospreys from having a conflicting CV designation with aircraft carriers.[Norton 2004, p. 30.] Full-scale development began in 1986.[RL31384, "V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress"]
''Congressional Research Service'', 22 December 2009. On 3 May 1986, Bell Boeing was awarded a US$1.714 billion contract for the V-22 by the U.S. Navy. At this point, all four U.S. military services had acquisition plans for the V-22.
The first V-22 was publicly rolled out in May 1988. That year, the U.S. Army left the program, citing a need to focus its budget on more immediate aviation programs.[ In 1989, the V-22 survived two separate Senate votes that could have resulted in cancellation. Despite the Senate's decision, the Department of Defense instructed the Navy not to spend more money on the V-22. As development cost projections greatly increased in 1988, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney tried to defund it from 1989 to 1992, but was overruled by ]Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
,[ which provided unrequested program funding.][Norton 2004, p. 49.] Multiple studies of alternatives found the V-22 provided more capability and effectiveness with similar operating costs.[Norton 2004, p. 52.] The Clinton Administration was supportive of the V-22, helping it attain funding.[
]
Flight testing and design changes
The first of six prototypes first flew on 19 March 1989 in the helicopter mode and on 14 September 1989 in fixed-wing mode. The third and fourth prototypes successfully completed the first sea trials on in December 1990. The fourth and fifth prototypes crashed in 1991–92.["Navy halts test flights of V-22 as crash investigated"](_blank)
''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', 13 June 1991. From October 1992 to April 1993, the V-22 was redesigned to reduce empty weight, simplify manufacture, and reduce build costs; it was designated V-22B.[ Flights resumed in June 1993 after safety changes were made to the prototypes.][Norton 2004, p. 55.] Bell Boeing received a contract for the engineering manufacturing development (EMD) phase in June 1994.[Norton 2004, pp. 52–54.] The prototypes were also modified to resemble the V-22B standard. At this stage, testing focused on flight envelope expansion, measuring flight loads, and supporting the EMD redesign. Flight testing with the early V-22s continued into 1997.[Norton 2004, pp. 55–57.]
Flight testing of four full-scale development V-22s began at the Naval Air Warfare Test Center, Naval Air Station Patuxent River
Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River.
It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air S ...
, Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. The first EMD flight took place on 5 February 1997. Testing soon fell behind schedule. The first of four low rate initial production aircraft, ordered on 28 April 1997, was delivered on 27 May 1999. The second sea trials were completed onboard in January 1999.[ During external load testing in April 1999, a V-22 transported the lightweight ]M777 howitzer
The M777 howitzer is a British towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the United States. It was first used in combat during the US ...
.
In 2000, there were two fatal crashes, killing a total of 23 marines, and the V-22 was again grounded while the crashes' causes were investigated and various parts were redesigned.[Berler, Ron]
"Saving the Pentagon's Killer Chopper-Plane"
''Wired'' (CondéNet, Inc), Volume 13, Issue 7, July 2005. In June 2005, the V-22 completed its final operational evaluation, including long-range deployments, high altitude, desert and shipboard operations; problems previously identified had reportedly been resolved.
U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) worked on software upgrades to increase the maximum speed from to , increase helicopter mode altitude limit from to or , and increase lift performance. By 2012, changes had been made to the hardware, software, and procedures in response to hydraulic fires in the nacelles, vortex ring state control issues, and opposed landings; reliability has improved accordingly.
An MV-22 landed and refueled onboard in an evaluation in October 2012. In 2013, cargo handling trials occurred on . In October 2015, NAVAIR tested rolling landings and takeoffs on a carrier, preparing for carrier onboard delivery
Carrier onboard delivery (COD) is the use of aircraft to ferry personnel, mail, supplies, and high-priority cargo, such as replacement parts, from shore bases to an aircraft carrier at sea. Several types of aircraft, including helicopters, have ...
.
Controversy
Development was protracted and controversial, partly because of large cost increases,[Bryce, Robert]
"Review of political forces that helped shape V-22 program"
''Texas Observer'', 17 June 2004. some of which were caused by a requirement to fold wings and rotors to fit aboard ships.[Whittle, Richard.]
Half-airplane, half-helicopter, totally badass
NY Post, 24 May 2015
Archived
on 25 May 2015. The development budget was first set at US$2.5 billion in 1986, increasing to a projected US$30 billion in 1988.[ By 2008, US$27 billion had been spent and another US$27.2 billion was required for planned production numbers.][ Between 2008 and 2011, the V-22's estimated lifetime cost grew by 61%, mostly for maintenance and support.
]
In 2001, Lieutenant Colonel Odin Lieberman, commander of the V-22 squadron at Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for General Keith B. McCutcheo ...
, was relieved of duty after allegations that he instructed his unit to falsify maintenance records to make it appear more reliable.[ Three officers were implicated for their roles in the falsification scandal.][
In October 2007, a '']Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine article condemned the V-22 as unsafe, overpriced, and inadequate;[ the USMC responded that the article's data was partly obsolete, inaccurate, and held high expectations for any new field of aircraft.][Hoellwarth, John]
"Leaders, experts slam Time article on Osprey"
''Marine Corps Times
''Marine Corps Times'' (ISSN 1522-0869) is a newspaper serving active, reserve and retired United States Marine Corps personnel and their families, providing news, information and analysis as well as community and lifestyle features, educational su ...
'' (Army Times Publishing Company), 16 October 2007. In 2011, the controversial defense industry supported Lexington Institute
The Lexington Institute is a center-right think tank headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States. It focuses mainly on defense and security policy.
History, staff, and positions
The Lexington Institute was founded in 1998 by former U.S. ...
reported that the average mishap rate per flight hour over the past 10 years was the lowest of any USMC rotorcraft, approximately half of the average fleet accident rate. In 2011, ''Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San ...
'' magazine reported that the safety record had excluded ground incidents; the USMC responded that MV-22 reporting used the same standards as other Navy aircraft.
By 2012, the USMC reported fleetwide readiness rate had risen to 68%; however, the DOD's Inspector General later found 167 of 200 reports had "improperly recorded" information. Captain Richard Ulsh blamed errors on incompetence, saying that they were "not malicious" or deliberate. The required mission capable rate was 82%, but the average was 53% from June 2007 to May 2010.[Shalal-Esa, Andrea]
"U.S. eyes V-22 aircraft sales to Israel, Canada, UAE"
''Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was esta ...
'', 26 February 2012. In 2010, Naval Air Systems Command
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) provides materiel support for aircraft and airborne weapon systems for the United States Navy. It is one of the Echelon II Navy systems commands (SYSCOM), and was established in 1966 as the successor to the ...
aimed for an 85% reliability rate by 2018. From 2009 to 2014, readiness rates rose 25% to the "high 80s", while cost per flight hour had dropped 20% to $9,520 through a rigorous maintenance improvement program that focused on diagnosing problems before failures occur. , although the V-22 requires more maintenance and has lower availability (62%) than traditional helicopters, it also has a lower mishap rate. The average cost per flight hour is ,[Whittle, Richard.]
Osprey Shows Its Mettle
pp. 23–26. '' American Helicopter Society'' / Vertiflite May/June 2015, Vol. 61, No. 3. whereas the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion
The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...
cost about $20,000 per flight hour in 2007.[Whittle, Richard]
USMC CH-53E Costs Rise With Op Tempo
''Rotor & Wing, Aviation Today'', January 2007. Quote: For every hour the Corps flies a −53E, it spends 44 maintenance hours fixing it. Every hour a Super Stallion flies it costs about $20,000. V-22 ownership cost was $83,000 per hour in 2013.[Magnuson, Stew.]
Future of Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Uncertain Despite V-22's Successes
''National Defense Industrial Association'', July 2015
Archive
/ref>
While technically capable of autorotation
Autorotation is a state of flight in which the main rotor system of a helicopter or other rotary-wing aircraft turns by the action of air moving up through the rotor, as with an autogyro, rather than engine power driving the rotor. Bensen, Ig ...
if both engines fail in helicopter mode, a safe landing is difficult. In 2005, a director of the Pentagon's testing office stated that in a loss of power while hovering below , emergency landings "are not likely to be survivable." V-22 pilot Captain Justin "Moon" McKinney stated that: "We can turn it into a plane and glide it down, just like a C-130
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
."[Thompson, Mark]
"V-22 Osprey: A Flying Shame"
''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'', 26 September 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2011. A complete loss of power requires both engines to fail, as one engine can power both proprotors via interconnected drive shafts.[ Though ]vortex ring state
The vortex ring state (VRS) is a dangerous aerodynamic condition that may arise in helicopter flight, when a vortex ring system engulfs the rotor, causing severe loss of lift. The vortex ring state is sometimes referred to as settling with powe ...
(VRS) contributed to a deadly V-22 accident, flight testing found it to be less susceptible to VRS than conventional helicopters.[ A GAO report stated that the V-22 is "less forgiving than conventional helicopters" during VRS. Several test flights to explore VRS characteristics were canceled. The USMC trains pilots in the recognition of and recovery from VRS, and has instituted operational envelope limits and instrumentation to help avoid VRS conditions.][Gross, Kevin, Lt. Col. U.S. Marine Corps and Tom Macdonald, MV-22 test pilot and Ray Dagenhart, MV-22 lead government engineer]
NI_Myth_0904,00.html "Dispelling the Myth of the MV-22"
''Proceedings: The Naval Institute''. September 2004.
Production
On 28 September 2005, the Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a meton ...
formally approved full-rate production, increasing from 11 V-22s per year to between 24 and 48 per year by 2012. Of the 458 total planned, 360 are for the USMC, 50 for the USAF, and 48 for the Navy at an average cost of $110 million per aircraft, including development costs.[ The V-22 had an incremental flyaway cost of $67 million per aircraft in 2008,]["FY 2009 Budget Estimates"]
p. 133. ''United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
'', February 2008. The Navy had hoped to shave about $10 million off that cost via a five-year production contract in 2013. Each CV-22 cost $73 million in the FY 2014 budget.
On 15 April 2010, the Naval Air Systems Command awarded Bell Boeing a $42.1 million contract to design an integrated processor in response to avionics obsolescence and add new network capabilities. By 2014, Raytheon
Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world by revenue and market capitali ...
began providing an avionics upgrade that includes situational awareness
Situational awareness or situation awareness (SA) is the perception of environmental elements and events with respect to time or space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their future status. An alternative definition is tha ...
and blue force tracking. In 2009, a contract for Block C upgrades was awarded to Bell Boeing. In February 2012, the USMC received the first V-22C, featuring a new radar, additional mission management and electronic warfare equipment. In 2015, options for upgrading all aircraft to the V-22C standard were examined.
On 12 June 2013, the U.S. DoD awarded a $4.9 billion contract for 99 V-22s in production Lots 17 and 18, including 92 MV-22s for the USMC, for completion in September 2019.[Bell-Boeing award V-22 multi-year contract](_blank)
– Flightglobal.com, 12 June 2013 A provision gives NAVAIR the option to order 23 more Ospreys. As of June 2013, the combined value of all contracts placed totaled $6.5 billion. In 2013, Bell laid off production staff following the US's order being cut to about half of the planned number.[Berard, Yamil.]
. ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company.
History
In May 1905, Amon G. Carter ...
'', 5 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014. Production rate went from 40 in 2012 to 22 planned for 2015. Manufacturing robots have replaced older automated machines for increased accuracy and efficiency; large parts are held in place by suction cups and measured electronically.
In March 2014, Air Force Special Operations Command issued a Combat Mission Need Statement for armor to protect V-22 passengers. NAVAIR worked with a Florida-based composite armor company and the Army Aviation Development Directorate to develop and deliver the advanced ballistic stopping system (ABSS) by October 2014. Costing $270,000, the ABSS consists of 66 plates fitting along interior bulkheads and deck, adding to the aircraft's weight, affecting payload and range. The ABSS can be installed or removed when needed in hours and partially assembled in pieces for partial protection of specific areas. As of May 2015, 16 kits had been delivered to the USAF.[Air Force special ops looks to add armor, firepower to Ospreys](_blank)
– ''Air Force Times'', 17 September 2014[Whittle, Richard.]
AFSOC Ospreys Armor Up After Painful Lessons Learned In South Sudan
''Breaking Defense'', 15 May 2015
Archive
/ref>
In 2015, Bell Boeing set up the V-22 Readiness Operations Center at Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, to gather information from each aircraft to improve fleet performance in a similar manner as the F-35's Autonomic Logistics Information System.
Design
Overview
The Osprey is the world's first production tiltrotor
A tiltrotor is an aircraft which generates lift and propulsion by way of one or more powered rotors (sometimes called ''proprotors'') mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles usually at the ends of a fixed wing. Almost all tiltrotors use a trans ...
aircraft, with one three-bladed proprotor
A proprotor is a spinning airfoil that function as both an airplane-style propeller and a helicopter-style rotor. Several proprotor-equipped convertiplanes, such as the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, are capable of switching back and forth betw ...
, turboprop engine, and transmission nacelle
A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...
mounted on each wingtip.[Croft, John]
"Tilters"
Alternate link
'Air & Space/Smithsonian
''Air & Space/Smithsonian'' is a quarterly magazine published by the National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the ...
'', 1 September 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2015. It is classified as a powered lift
A powered lift aircraft takes off and lands vertically under engine power but uses a fixed wing for horizontal flight. Like helicopters, these aircraft do not need a long runway to take off and land, but they have a speed and performance similar ...
aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
. For takeoff and landing, it typically operates as a helicopter with the nacelles vertical and rotors horizontal. Once airborne, the nacelles rotate forward 90° in as little as 12 seconds for horizontal flight, converting the V-22 to a more fuel-efficient, higher speed turboprop aircraft. STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh condi ...
rolling-takeoff and landing capability is achieved by having the nacelles tilted forward up to 45°.["V-22 Osprey Guidebook, 2013/2014"]
''Bell-Boeing'', 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014
Archived
in 2014. Other orientations are possible. Pilots describe the V-22 in airplane mode as comparable to the C-130 in feel and speed. It has a ferry range of over 2,100 nmi. Its operational range is 1,100 nmi.
Composite material
A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or ...
s make up 43% of the airframe, and the proprotor blades also use composites.[ For storage, the V-22's rotors fold in 90 seconds and its wing rotates to align, front-to-back, with the fuselage.][Currie, Major Tom P. Jr., USAF]
"A Research Report Submitted to the Faculty, In Partial Fulfillment of the Graduation Requirements: The CV-22 'Osprey' and the Impact on Air Force Combat Search and Rescue"
''Air Command and Staff College'', April 1999. Because of the requirement for folding rotors, their 38-foot (11.6 m) diameter is 5 feet (1.5 m) less than would be optimal for an aircraft of this size to conduct vertical takeoff, resulting in high disk loading
In fluid dynamics, disk loading or disc loading is the average pressure change across an actuator disk, such as an airscrew. Airscrews with a relatively low disk loading are typically called rotors, including helicopter main rotors and tail rot ...
.[Whittle, Richard.]
Flying The Osprey Is Not Dangerous, Just Different: Veteran Pilots
" '' defense.aol.com'', 5 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012
Archived
on 3 October 2013. Most missions use fixed wing flight 75% or more of the time, reducing wear and tear and operational costs. This fixed wing flight is higher than typical helicopter missions allowing longer range line-of-sight communications for improved command and control
Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...
.[
Exhaust heat from the V-22's engines can potentially damage ships' flight decks and coatings. NAVAIR devised a temporary fix of portable heat shields placed under the engines and determined that a long-term solution would require redesigning decks with heat resistant coating, passive thermal barriers, and ship structure changes. Similar changes are required for ]F-35B
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...
operations. In 2009, DARPA
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.
Originally known as the Ad ...
requested solutions for installing robust flight deck cooling.[Lazarus, Aaron]
DARPA-BAA 10-10, Thermal Management System (TMS)
''DARPA
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.
Originally known as the Ad ...
'', 16 November 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2012. Quote: "MV-22 Osprey has resulted in ship flight deck buckling that has been attributed to the excessive heat impact from engine exhaust plumes. Navy studies have indicated that repeated deck buckling will likely cause deck failure before planned ship life." A heat-resistant anti-skid metal spray named Thermion has been tested on .
Propulsion
The V-22's two Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engines are connected by drive shafts to a common central gearbox
Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), differe ...
so that one engine can power both proprotors if an engine failure occurs.[Norton 2004, pp. 98–99.] Either engine can power both proprotors through the wing driveshaft.[ However, the V-22 is generally not capable of hovering on one engine. If a proprotor gearbox fails, that proprotor cannot be feathered, and both engines must be stopped before an ]emergency landing
An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to term ...
. The autorotation characteristics are poor because of the rotors' low inertia
Inertia is the idea that an object will continue its current motion until some force causes its speed or direction to change. The term is properly understood as shorthand for "the principle of inertia" as described by Newton in his first law ...
.[
]
In September 2013, Rolls-Royce announced that it had increased the AE-1107C engine's power by 17% via the adoption of a new Block 3 turbine, increased fuel valve flow capacity, and software updates; it should also improve reliability in high-altitude, high-heat conditions and boost maximum payload limitations from . A Block 4 upgrade is reportedly being examined, which may increase power by up to 26%, producing close to , and improve fuel consumption.
In August 2014, the U.S. military issued a request for information for a potential drop-in replacement for the AE-1107C engines. Submissions must have a power rating of no less than at 15,000 rpm, operate at up to at up to , and fit into the existing wing nacelles with minimal structural or external modifications. In September 2014, the U.S. Navy, who already purchase engines separately to airframes, was reportedly considering an alternative engine supplier to reduce costs. The General Electric GE38 is one option, giving commonality with the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion
The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion (Sikorsky S-95) is a heavy-lift cargo helicopter designed and produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. The King Stallion is an evolution of the long running CH-53 series of helicopters which have been in continuous ser ...
.
The V-22 has a maximum rotor downwash
In aeronautics, downwash is the change in direction of air deflected by the aerodynamic action of an airfoil, wing, or helicopter rotor blade in motion, as part of the process of producing lift.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, thir ...
speed of over , more than the lower limit of a hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
.[John Gordon IV et al]
Assessment of Navy Heavy-Lift Aircraft Options
p39. '' RAND Corporation'', 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
Archived
in 2011.["Hurricanes... Unleashing Nature's Fury: A Preparedness Guide"]
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
, National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...
, September 2006. The rotorwash usually prevents the starboard door's usage in hover; the rear ramp is used for rappelling and hoisting instead.[McKinney, Mike]
"Flying the V-22"
''Vertical
Vertical is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
* Vertical direction, the direction aligned with the direction of the force of gravity, up or down
* Vertical (angles), a pair of angles opposite each other, formed by two intersecting s ...
'', 28 March 2012
Archived
on 30 April 2014.[Waters, USMC Cpl. Lana D]
V-22 Osprey Fast rope 1
''USMC
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...
'', 6 November 2004
Archived
on 21 March 2005. The V-22 loses 10% of its vertical lift over a tiltwing
A tiltwing aircraft features a wing that is horizontal for conventional forward flight and rotates up for vertical takeoff and landing. It is similar to the tiltrotor design where only the propeller and engine rotate. Tiltwing aircraft are typical ...
design when operating in helicopter mode because of the wings' airflow resistance, while the tiltrotor design has better short takeoff and landing performance. V-22s must keep at least of vertical separation between each other to avoid each other's rotor wake, which causes turbulence and potentially control loss.[
]
Avionics
The V-22 is equipped with a glass cockpit, which incorporates four multi-function display
A multifunction display (MFD) is a small-screen ( CRT or LCD) surrounded by multiple soft keys (configurable buttons) that can be used to display information to the user in numerous configurable ways. MFDs originated in aviation, first in mil ...
s (MFDs, compatible with night-vision goggles)[ and one shared central display unit, to display various images including: digimaps, imagery from the Turreted ]forward-looking infrared
Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation.
The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
system primary flight instruments, navigation (TACAN
A tactical air navigation system, commonly referred to by the acronym TACAN, is a navigation system used by military aircraft. It provides the user with bearing and distance (slant-range or hypotenuse) to a ground or ship-borne station. It is a mor ...
, VOR
VOR or vor may refer to:
Organizations
* Vale of Rheidol Railway in Wales
* Voice of Russia, a radio broadcaster
* Volvo Ocean Race, a yacht race
Science, technology and medicine
* VHF omnidirectional range, a radio navigation aid used in a ...
, ILS, GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
, INS), and system status. The flight director panel of the cockpit management system allows for fully coupled (autopilot) functions that take the aircraft from forward flight into a hover with no pilot interaction other than programming the system.[Ringenbach, Daniel P. and Scott Brick]
"Hardware-in-the-loop testing for development and integration of the V-22 autopilot system, pp. 28–36"
''Technical Papers (A95-39235 10–01): AIAA Flight Simulation Technologies Conference Technical Papers'', Baltimore, MD, 3 August 2008. The fuselage is not pressurized
{{Wiktionary
Pressurization or pressurisation is the application of pressure in a given situation or environment.
Industrial
Industrial equipment is often maintained at pressures above or below atmospheric.
Atmospheric
This is the process by ...
, and personnel must wear on-board oxygen masks above 10,000 feet.[
The V-22 has triple-redundant ]fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires, and flight control ...
flight control systems; these have computerized damage control to automatically isolate damaged areas. With the nacelles pointing straight up in conversion mode at 90° the flight computers command it to fly like a helicopter, cyclic forces being applied to a conventional swashplate at the rotor hub. With the nacelles in airplane mode (0°) the flaperon
A flaperon (a portmanteau of flap and aileron) on an aircraft's wing is a type of control surface that combines the functions of both flaps and ailerons. Some smaller kitplanes have flaperons for reasons of simplicity of manufacture, while ...
s, rudder, and elevator fly similar to an airplane. This is a gradual transition, occurring over the nacelles' rotation range; the lower the nacelles, the greater effect of the airplane-mode control surfaces.[Norton 2004, pp. 6–9, 95–96.] The nacelles can rotate past vertical to 97.5° for rearward flight.[Markman and Holder 2000, p. 58.][Norton 2004, p. 97.] The V-22 can use the "80 Jump" orientation with the nacelles at 80° for takeoff to quickly achieve high altitude and speed. The controls automate to the extent that it can hover in low wind without hands on the controls.
New USMC V-22 pilots learn to fly helicopter and multiengine fixed-wing aircraft before the tiltrotor. Some V-22 pilots believe that former fixed-wing pilots may be preferable over helicopter users, as they are not trained to constantly adjust the controls in hover. Others say that experience with helicopters' hovering and precision is most important. the US military does not track whether fixed-wing or helicopter pilots transition more easily to the V-22, according to USMC Colonel Matthew Kelly, V-22 project manager. He said that fixed-wing pilots are more experienced at instrument flying, while helicopter pilots are more experienced at scanning outside when the aircraft is moving slowly.
Armament
The V-22 can be armed with one 7.62×51mm NATO (.308
The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO ...
in caliber) M240 machine gun or .50 in caliber (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun on the rear loading ramp. A 12.7 mm (.50 in) GAU-19 three-barrel Gatling gun mounted below the nose was studied. BAE Systems developed a belly-mounted, remotely operated gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
system,["BAE Systems Launches New V-22 Defensive Weapon System, Begins On-The-Move Testing"]
''BAE Systems'', 2 October 2007. the Interim Defense Weapon System (IDWS);[McCullough, Amy. "Ospreys, with boost in firepower, enter Afghanistan". '']Marine Corps Times
''Marine Corps Times'' (ISSN 1522-0869) is a newspaper serving active, reserve and retired United States Marine Corps personnel and their families, providing news, information and analysis as well as community and lifestyle features, educational su ...
'', 7 December 2009, p. 24. it is remotely operated by a gunner, targets are acquired via a separate pod using color television and forward looking infrared imagery.[Whittle, Richard]
"BAE Remote Guardians Join Osprey Fleet"
''Rotor & Wing'', 1 January 2010. The IDWS was installed on half of the V-22s deployed to Afghanistan in 2009;[ it found limited use because of its weight and restrictive ]rules of engagement
Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as pro ...
.
There were 32 IDWSs available to the USMC in June 2012; V-22s often flew without it as the added weight reduced cargo capacity. The V-22's speed allows it to outrun conventional support helicopters, thus a self-defense capability was required on long-range independent operations. The infrared gun camera proved useful for reconnaissance and surveillance. Other weapons were studied to provide all-quadrant fire, including nose guns, door guns, and non-lethal countermeasures to work with the current ramp-mounted machine gun and the IDWS.
In 2014, the USMC studied new weapons with "all-axis, stand-off, and precision capabilities", akin to the AGM-114 Hellfire, AGM-176 Griffin
The AGM-176 Griffin is a lightweight, precision-guided munition developed by Raytheon. It can be launched from the ground or air as a rocket-powered missile or dropped from the air as a guided bomb. It carries a relatively small warhead, and was ...
, Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, and GBU-53/B SDB II. In November 2014, Bell Boeing conducted self-funded weapons tests, equipping a V-22 with a hardpoint#pylon, pylon on the front fuselage and replacing the AN/AAQ-27A EO camera with an L-3 Wescam MX-15 sensor/laser designator. 26 unguided Hydra 70 rockets, two guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, APKWS rockets, and two Griffin B missiles were fired over five flights. The USMC and USAF sought a traversable nose-mounted weapon connected to a helmet-mounted sight; recoil complicated integrating a forward-facing gun. A pylon could carry of munitions. However, by 2019, the USMC opted for IDWS upgrades over adopting new weapons.
Refueling capability
Boeing is developing a roll-on/roll-off aerial refueling kit, which would give the V-22 the ability to refuel other aircraft. Having an aerial refueling capability that can be based on Wasp-class amphibious assault ships would increase the F-35B's strike power, removing reliance on refueling assets solely based on large Nimitz-class aircraft carriers or land bases. The roll-on/roll-off kit can also be applicable to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) functions. Boeing funded a non-functional demonstration on a VMX-22 aircraft; a prototype kit was successfully tested with an F/A-18 on 5 September 2013.
The high-speed version of the hose/drogue refueling system can be deployed at and function at up to . A mix of tanks and a roll-on/roll-off bladder house up to of fuel. The ramp must open to extend the hose, then raised once extended. It can refuel rotorcraft, needing a separate drogue used specifically by helicopters and a converted nacelle. Many USMC ground vehicles can run on aviation fuel, a refueling V-22 could service these. In late 2014, it was stated that V-22 tankers could be in use by 2017, but contract delays pushed IOC to late 2019. As part of a 26 May 2016 contract award to Boeing, Cobham plc, Cobham was contracted to adapt their FR-300 hose drum unit as used by the KC-130 in October 2016. While the Navy has not declared its interest in the capability, it could be leveraged later on.
Operational history
In October 2019, the fleet of 375 V-22s operated by the U.S. Armed Forces surpassed the 500,000 flight hour mark.
U.S. Marine Corps
Since March 2000, VMMT-204 has conducted training for the type. In December 2005, Lieutenant General James F. Amos, James Amos, commander of II Marine Expeditionary Force, accepted delivery of the first batch of MV-22s. The unit reactivated in March 2006 as the first MV-22 squadron, redesignated as VMM-263. In 2007, HMM-266 became Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266)["Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 History"]
''U.S. Marine Corps''. Retrieved 16 October 2011. and reached Initial operating capability, initial operational capability. It started replacing the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-46 Sea Knight in 2007; the CH-46 was retired in October 2014.[Carter, Chelsea J]
"Miramar Base to Get Osprey Squadrons"
''USA Today'' (Associated Press), 18 March 2008. On 13 April 2007, the USMC announced the first V-22 combat deployment at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq.[Mount, Mike]
"Marines to deploy tilt-rotor aircraft to Iraq"
CNN, 14 April 2007.["Controversial Osprey aircraft heading to Iraq; Marines bullish on hybrid helicopter-plane despite past accidents"](_blank)
MSNBC, 13 April 2007.
V-22s in Iraq's Al Anbar Governorate, Anbar province were used for transport and scout missions. General David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, used one to visit troops on Christmas Day 2007;[Mount, Mike]
"Maligned aircraft finds redemption in Iraq, military says"
CNN, 8 February 2008. as did Barack Obama during his Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign, 2008 presidential campaign tour in Iraq.[Hambling, David]
"Osprey's 'Excellent Photo Op
''Wired'' (CondéNet, Inc.), 31 July 2008. USMC Col. Kelly recalled how visitors were reluctant to fly on the unfamiliar aircraft, but after seeing its speed and ability to fly above ground fire, "All of a sudden, the entire flight schedule was booked. No senior officer wanted to go anywhere unless they could fly on the V-22". Obtaining spares proved problematic.[Warwick, Graham]
''Flightglobal'', 7 February 2008. By July 2008, the V-22 had flown 3,000 sorties totaling 5,200 hours in Iraq. General George J. Trautman III praised its greater speed and range over legacy helicopters, saying "it turned his battle space from the size of Texas into the size of Rhode Island." Despite attacks by man-portable air-defense systems and small arms, none were lost to enemy fire by late 2009.[Gertler, Jeremiah. (quoting USMC Karsten Heckl]
"V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress"
, p. 30. ''Congressional Research Service reports'', 22 December 2009.
A Government Accountability Office study stated that by January 2009, the 12 MV-22s in Iraq had completed all assigned missions; mission capable rates averaged 57% to 68%, and an overall full mission capable rate of 6%. It also noted weaknesses in situational awareness, maintenance, shipboard operations and transport capability.["GAO-09-482: Defense Acquisitions, Assessments Needed to Address V-22 Aircraft Operational and Cost Concerns to Define Future Investments" (summary)]
Government Accountability Office. Retrieved: 30 December 2010. The report concluded: "deployments confirmed that the V-22's enhanced speed and range enable personnel and internal cargo to be transported faster and farther than is possible with the legacy helicopters".[
MV-22s deployed to Afghanistan in November 2009 with VMM-261;][McLeary, Paul]
"Trial By Fire"
''Aviation Week & Space Technology, Aviation Week'', 15 March 2010. it saw its first offensive combat mission, Operation Cobra's Anger, on 4 December 2009. V-22s assisted in inserting 1,000 USMC and 150 Afghan troops into the Now Zad Valley of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan to disrupt Taliban operations.[ General James Amos stated that Afghanistan's MV-22s had surpassed 100,000 flight hours, calling it "the safest airplane, or close to the safest airplane" in the USMC inventory. The V-22's Afghan deployment was set to end in late 2013 with the drawdown of combat operations; however, VMM-261 was directed to extend operations for casualty evacuation, being quicker than helicopters enabled more casualties to reach a hospital within the 'Golden hour (medicine), golden hour'; they were fitted with medical equipment such as heart monitors and triage supplies.
In January 2010, the MV-22 was sent to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response relief efforts after 2010 Haiti earthquake, an earthquake, the type's first Humanitarian aid, humanitarian mission.][Talton, Trista]
"24th MEU joining Haiti relief effort"
''Marine Corps Times'', 20 January 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2010. In March 2011, two MV-22s from helped rescue a downed USAF McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15E crew member during Operation Odyssey Dawn. On 2 May 2011, following Operation Neptune's Spear, the body of Osama bin Laden, founder of the al-Qaeda terrorist group, was flown by a MV-22 to the aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, prior to his burial at sea.
In 2013, several MV-22s received communications and seating modifications to support the Marine One presidential transport squadron because of the urgent need for CH-53Es in Afghanistan. In May 2010, Boeing announced plans to submit the V-22 for the VXX presidential transport replacement.[Reed, John]
"Boeing to make new multiyear Osprey offer"
''Marine Corps Times
''Marine Corps Times'' (ISSN 1522-0869) is a newspaper serving active, reserve and retired United States Marine Corps personnel and their families, providing news, information and analysis as well as community and lifestyle features, educational su ...
'', 5 May 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
From 2 to 5 August 2013, two MV-22s completed the longest distance Osprey tanking mission to date. Flying from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa alongside two KC-130J tankers, they flew to Clark Air Base in the Philippines on 2 August; then to Darwin, Australia, on 3 August; to Townsville, Australia, on 4 August; and finally rendezvoused with on 5 August.
In 2013, the USMC formed an intercontinental response force, the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Africa, using V-22s outfitted with specialized communications gear. In 2013, following Typhoon Haiyan, 12 MV-22s of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade were deployed to the Philippines for disaster relief operations;[Hoyle, Craig]
''Flight International'', 20 November 2013. its abilities were described as "uniquely relevant", flying faster and with greater payloads while moving supplies throughout the island archipelago.
U.S. Air Force
The USAF's first operational CV-22 was delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing (58th SOW) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, in March 2006. Early aircraft were delivered to the 58th SOW and used for training personnel for special operations use.["CV-22 delivered to Air Force"]
''Air Force Special Operations Command News Service'' via ''Air Force Link (United States Air Force)'', 21 March 2006. Retrieved 3 August 2008. On 16 November 2006, the USAF officially accepted the CV-22 in a ceremony conducted at Hurlburt Field, Florida.["CV-22 arrival"]
''Hulbert Field, United States Air Force'', 20 April 2006. Retrieved 20 November 2006. The USAF's first operational deployment sent four CV-22s to Mali in November 2008 in support of Exercise Flintlock. The CV-22s flew nonstop from Hurlburt Field, Florida, with in-flight refueling. AFSOC declared that the 8th Special Operations Squadron reached Initial Operational Capability in March 2009, with six CV-22s in service.[Sirak, Michael]
"Osprey Ready for Combat"
''Air Force Magazine'', Volume 92, Issue 5, May 2009, pp. 11–12. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
In December 2013, three CV-22s came under small arms fire while trying to evacuate American civilians in Bor, South Sudan, during the 2013 South Sudanese political crisis; the aircraft flew to Entebbe, Uganda, after the mission was aborted. South Sudanese officials stated that the attackers were rebels. The CV-22s had flown to Bor over three countries across . The formation was hit 119 times, wounding four crew and causing flight control failures and hydraulic and fuel leaks on all three aircraft. Fuel leaks resulted in multiple air-to-air refuelings en route. After the incident, AFSOC developed optional armor floor panels.
The USAF found that "CV-22 wake modeling is inadequate for a trailing aircraft to make accurate estimations of safe separation from the preceding aircraft." In 2015, the USAF sought to configure the CV-22 to perform combat search and rescue in addition to its long-range special operations transport mission. It would complement the HH-60 Pave Hawk, HH-60G Pave Hawk and planned HH-60W rescue helicopters, being employed in scenarios where high speed is better suited to search and rescue than more nimble but slower helicopters.
U.S. Navy
The V-22 program originally included Navy 48 HV-22s, but none were ordered.[ In 2009, it was proposed that it replace the Grumman C-2 Greyhound, C-2 Greyhound for ]carrier onboard delivery
Carrier onboard delivery (COD) is the use of aircraft to ferry personnel, mail, supplies, and high-priority cargo, such as replacement parts, from shore bases to an aircraft carrier at sea. Several types of aircraft, including helicopters, have ...
(COD) duties. One advantage of the V-22 is the ability to deliver supplies and people between non-carrier ships beyond helicopter range. Proponents said that it is capable of similar speed, payload capacity, and lift performance to the C-2, and can carry greater payloads over short ranges, up to 20,000 lb, including suspended external loads. The C-2 can only deliver cargo to carriers, requiring further distribution to smaller vessels via helicopters, while the V-22 is certified for operating upon amphibious ships, aircraft carriers, and logistics ships. It could also take some helicopter roles by fitting a 600 lb hoist to the ramp and a cabin configuration for 12 non-ambulatory patients and 5 seats for medical attendants. Bell and P&W designed a frame for the V-22 to transport the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, Lockheed Martin F-35.[Israel could double V-22 order size, Bell says]
– Flightglobal.com, 25 February 2014
On 5 January 2015, the Navy and USMC signed a memorandum of understanding to buy the V-22 for the COD mission. Initially designated HV-22, four aircraft were bought each year from 2018 to 2020. It incorporates an extended-range fuel system for an unrefueled range, a high-frequency radio for over-the-horizon communications, and a public address system to communicate with passengers; the range increase comes from extra fuel bladders through larger external sponsons, the only external difference from other variants. Its primary mission is long-range logistics; other conceivable missions include personnel recovery and special warfare. In February 2016, the Navy officially designated it as the ''CMV-22B''.[V-22 Navy variant receives official designation](_blank)
– United States Navy, 3 February 2016 The Navy's Program of Record originally called for 48 aircraft, it later determined that only 44 were required. Production began in FY 2018, and deliveries start in 2020.[US Navy reveals CMV-22B as long-range Osprey designation](_blank)
– Flightglobal.com, 4 February 2016.[Navy's Osprey Will Be Called CMV-22B; Procurement To Begin In FY 2018](_blank)
– News.USNI.org, 5 February 2016.
The Navy ordered the first 39 CMV-22Bs in June 2018; initial operating capability is anticipated to be achieved in 2021, with fielding to the fleet by the mid-2020s. The first CMV-22B made its initial flight in December 2019. The first deployment began in summer 2021 aboard the USS ''Carl Vinson''.
Japan Self-Defense Forces
In 2012, former Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto ordered an investigation of the costs of V-22 operations. The V-22's capabilities exceeded current Japan Self-Defense Forces helicopters in terms of range, speed and payload. The ministry anticipated deployments to the Ryukyu Islands, Nansei Islands and the Senkaku Islands, as well as in multinational cooperation with the U.S. In November 2014, the Ministry of Defense (Japan), Japanese Ministry of Defense decided to procure 17 V-22s. The first V-22 for Japan undertook its first flight in August 2017 and the aircraft began delivery to the Japanese military in 2020.
In September 2018, the Japanese Ministry of Defense decided to delay the deployment of the first five MV-22Bs it had received amid opposition and ongoing negotiations in the Saga Prefecture, where the aircraft are to be based. On 8 May 2020, the first two of the five aircraft were delivered to the JGSDF at Kisarazu Air Field after failing to reach an agreement with Saga prefecture residents. It is planned to eventually station some V-22s on board the Izumo-class helicopter destroyers.
Potential operators
India
In 2015, the Indian Aviation Research Centre showed interest in acquiring four V-22s for personnel evacuation in hostile conditions, logistic supplies, and deployment of the Special Frontier Force in border areas. US V-22s performed relief operations after the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. The Indian Navy also studied the V-22 rather than the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, E-2D for airborne early warning and control to replace the short-range Kamov Ka-31. India is interested in purchasing six attack version V-22s for rapid troop insertion in border areas.
Indonesia
On 6 July 2020, the U.S. State Department announced that they had approved a possible Foreign Military Sales, Foreign Military Sale to Indonesia of eight Block C MV-22s and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2 billion. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of this possible sale.
Israel
On 22 April 2013, an agreement was signed to sell six V-22 to the Israeli Air Force. By the end of 2016, Israel had not ordered the V-22 and was instead interested in buying the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, C-47 Chinook helicopter or the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, CH-53K helicopter. As of 2017, Israel had frozen its evaluation of the V-22, "with a senior defence source indicating that the tiltrotor is unable to perform some missions currently conducted using its Sikorsky CH-53 transport helicopters."
Variants
;V-22A: Pre-production full-scale development aircraft used for flight testing. These are unofficially considered A-variants after the 1993 redesign.[Norton 2004, p. 54.]
;CV-22B: U.S. Air Force variant for the United States Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command. It conducts long-range special operations missions and is equipped with extra wing fuel tanks, an AN/APQ-186 terrain-following radar, and other equipment such as the AN/ALQ-211,["CV-22 Osprey Fact Sheet"]
United States Air Force, 7 July 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2013.[Norton 2004, pp. 71–72.] and AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis Directional Infrared Counter Measures. The fuel capacity is increased by 588 gallons (2,230 L) with two inboard wing tanks; three auxiliary tanks (200 or 430 gal) can also be added in the cabin.[Norton 2004, pp. 100–01.] The CV-22 replaced the Sikorsky MH-53, MH-53 Pave Low.[
;MV-22B: U.S. Marine Corps variant. The Marine Corps is the lead service in the V-22's development. The Marine Corps variant is an assault transport for troops, equipment and supplies, capable of operating from ships or expeditionary airfields ashore. It replaced the Marine Corps' Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-46E and Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion, CH-53D fleets.][Norton 2004, p. 77.]
;CMV-22B: U.S. Navy variant for the carrier onboard delivery role. Similar to the MV-22B but includes an extended-range fuel system, a high-frequency radio, and a public address system.
;EV-22: Proposed airborne early warning and control variant. The Royal Navy studied this variant as a replacement for its current fleet of carrier-based Westland Sea King#Airborne early warning, Sea King ASaC.7 helicopters.
;HV-22: The U.S. Navy considered an HV-22 to provide combat search and rescue, delivery and retrieval of special warfare teams along with fleet logistic support transport. It chose the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk#MH-60S, MH-60S for this role in 2001.[Norton 2004, pp. 26–28, 48, 83–84.]["V-22 Osprey Guidebook"]
''Naval Air Systems Command, United States Navy'', 2011/2012, p. 5.
;SV-22: Proposed anti-submarine warfare variant. The U.S. Navy studied the SV-22 in the 1980s to replace Lockheed S-3 Viking, S-3 and Kaman SH-2 Seasprite, SH-2 aircraft.[Norton 2004, pp. 28–30, 35, 48.]
Operators
;
*Japan Self-Defense Forces (2 delivered, 3 on order, plans for 12 more)
;
*United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
[World Air Forces 2014, ''FlightGlobal'', January 2014.]
**7th Special Operations Squadron
**8th Special Operations Squadron
**20th Special Operations Squadron
**21st Special Operations Squadron
**71st Special Operations Squadron
**418th Flight Test Squadron
*United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...
**HMX-1
**VMX-22
**VMM-161
**VMM-162
**VMM-163
**VMM-165
**VMM-166
**VMMT-204
**VMM-261
**VMM-263
**VMM-264
**VMM-266
**VMM-362
**VMM-363
**VMM-365
**VMM-561
*United States Navy – 44 CVM-22Bs on order, with deliveries to start in 2020.
** HX-21
**VRM-30
Accidents
The V-22 Osprey has had 13 hull-loss accidents with a total of 51 fatalities. During testing from 1991 to 2000, there were four aviation accidents and incidents, crashes resulting in 30 fatalities.[ Since becoming operational in 2007, the V-22 has had eight crashes resulting in 16 fatalities and several minor incidents. The aircraft's accident history has generated some controversy over its perceived safety issues.
]
Aircraft on display
* 163911 – V-22A on display at the Aviation Memorial at Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for General Keith B. McCutcheo ...
in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
* 163913 – V-22A on display at the American Helicopter Museum & Education Center in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
* 99-0021 (formerly 164939) – CV-22B on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
* 164940 – MV-22B on display at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park, Maryland.
Specifications (MV-22B)
Notable appearances in media
See also
References
Bibliography
*Markman, Steve and Bill Holder. "Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey Tilt-Engine VTOL Transport (U.S.A.)". ''Straight Up: A History of Vertical Flight''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2000. .
*Norton, Bill. ''Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, Tiltrotor Tactical Transport''. Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. .
*O'Hanlon, Michael E
''Defense Policy Choices for the Bush Administration''
Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2002. .
*Schinasi, Katherine V
''Defense Acquisitions: Readiness of the Marine Corps' V-22 Aircraft for Full-Rate Production''
Darby, Pennsylvania: Diane Publishing, 2008. .
*Whittle, Richard
''The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey''
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010. .
External links
Official Boeing V-22 site
Official Bell V-22 site
"The V-22 Osprey", Documentary on the V-22 In Iraq
"Flight of the Osprey", U.S. Navy video of V-22 operations
{{Good article
Tiltrotor aircraft
Bell aircraft, V-22
Boeing military aircraft, V-22
1980s United States military transport aircraft, Boeing V-22
High-wing aircraft
Turboshaft-powered aircraft
Articles containing video clips
Aircraft first flown in 1989