News

2019-11-13

V-22 Osprey Tops 500,000 Flight Hours

The V-22 Osprey fleet of tiltrotor aircraft reached a milestone in October by surpassing 500,000 flight hours. The aircraft built by Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company and Boeing has completed more than 375 logged flight hours and is in use by U.S. Air Force as CV-22 and U.S. Marine Corps as MV-22.

The Osprey fleet’s readiness and sustainment is taken care by Bell Boeing, which provides maintenance, training, on-site field representatives and data analytics. Bell Boeing supports V-22 readiness through a comprehensive sustainment effort that includes maintenance, training, on-site field representatives and data analytics. The V-22 will see further improvements with the Marines’ Common Configuration Readiness and Modernization programme (CC-RAM). The CC-RAM is Air Force’s configuration that plans reducing modification plan, and nacelle wiring and structure improvements.

Supporting diverse missions of the army throughout the most difficult operating environments, the V-222 Osprey is the world’s first production tiltrotor aircraft. Missions supported by V-22 fleet include airborne command and control, airborne fleet logistics, combat search and rescue and special operations support, among others. The aircraft was deployed recently to assist relief efforts in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. It offers both fixed-wing performance and expands flight deck delivery options with a generous wind envelope and catapult/arresting gear independence.

V-22 provides fixed-wing performance and expands flight deck delivery options with a generous wind envelope and catapult / arresting gear independence. Modern design and on-board monitoring systems permit a 30-40 per cent deployed maintainer-to-aircraft reduction as compared to the legacy COD.

“The V-22 provides an unmatched capability for the U.S. Marines and U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command. The V-22 aircraft technology’s influence on our nation’s defence is seen through its extensive operational and humanitarian impact across the globe,” says U.S. Marine Corps Col. Matthew Kelly, V-22 Joint Programme Manager.

“Since delivery of the first V-22 aircraft, Bell Boeing has ensured that our men and women in uniform have this indispensable asset available to protect heroes and save lives,” said Kristin Houston, vice president, Boeing Tiltrotor Programs and Director, Bell Boeing V-22 Programme.

“It is a great achievement for the V-22 programme as it is one of the highest demand platforms in the Department of Defense. The success of the programme is a testament to the Marines and Air Commandos operating this platform in all environments. And we are committed to continuing providing unparalleled support to our partners by steadily improving Osprey readiness and capabilities now and in the future,” said Chris Gehler, Bell V-22 Vice President and Bell Boeing deputy programme director.

“The Osprey continues to prove that tiltrotor technology has many benefits for operators challenged in the toughest environments. The V-22 enables operations in a way that was not previously possible,” he added.

The unique tiltrotor design allows the aircraft to take off and land like a helicopter and flies as propeller-driven aircraft. These features offer flexibility and smaller footprint, thus expanding logistics, lift and delivery capacities. The rotary-wing asset coupled with a medium-to-heavy lift delivery capability allows extended resupply CONOPs with a readiness that adapts to the commander’s daily logistics priorities, revolutionizing at-sea resupply. The aircraft unites fixed-wing range and speed with helicopter-like direct delivery to the point of need. The aircraft offers support to forces in areas without a runway and unreachable zones by any other aircraft.

Osprey V-22 Evolution

Over the last thirty years, since the first V-22 Osprey took to the sky, the aircraft has fundamentally changed how the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force operate in combat and humanitarian support operations. With its unique maneuverability combined with speed, range and fuel efficiency V-22 offers flexibility of a fixed-wing airplane Since 2007, the V-222 has continuously served the Marines, Navy, and Air Force Special Operations. A third advanced variant CMV-22 is scheduled to join the U.S. Navy fleet in 2020. The V-22 is manufactured at production locations in Philadelphia and Amarillo, with Rolls-Royce producing the aircraft’s two engines in its Indianapolis facility. The V-22 team is also working with the Marine Corps to reduce the number of aircraft configurations and simplify designs for readiness improvements for the active V-22 inventory.

The V-22 has been deployed for missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait, and participated in humanitarian operations, including earthquake relief in Haiti and Japan and hurricane response in the United States.

“Over the last 30 years, the V-22 has reshaped power projection, assault support and special operations airlift. Since that first flight in Arlington, Texas, the V-22 has proven its worth on the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and around the world. Thirty years later, now a networked platform, still with unmatched speed, and battlespace reach, the V-22 continues to enable global power projection and worldwide crisis response on a scale never before possible. The U.S. Services and our allies look forward to the next 30 years of V-22s dominating the battlefield,” said Col. Kelly.

Reference Photo/Text:www.boeing.com,www. bellflight.com

Comments () Views (1587 ) Print

Send To Friend