The tiltrotor Osprey aircraft HAS had its problems…..
Right now the US Air Force, Marines and Navy aircraft are grounded…..
The Air Force has launched a “comprehensive review” of its CV-22 force after a deadly crash killed eight airmen and the Pentagon grounded its entire fleet of Ospreys.
The review will determine whether the CV-22 force is “appropriately organized, trained and equipped for safe, effective, and efficient special operations,” said Air Force Special Operations Command chief Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind.
The command also is conducting two other reviews to determine the cause of the crash: a safety investigation board and an accident investigation board. Only the latter will be made public, Bauernfeind told reporters Tuesday at the Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium.
The Pentagon grounded its Ospreys on Dec. 6 after an Air Force CV-22 crashed off the coast of Japan due to a “materiel failure” with the aircraft.
Bauernfeind said it’s still too soon to speculate on the root cause or findings from the investigations.
“When we make that decision to return to fly, it will be with me having full confidence not only in our training, but our crews, as well as the platform and new mitigation measures that we have in place to ensure that we can react appropriately if another situation develops,” he said.
Bauernfeind wouldn’t say which aircraft his command is using while the Ospreys are grounded, but said, “they have leveraged other joint force capabilities to meet the requirements.”
Other Pentagon aircraft that can meet similar lift needs include the CH-53 and CH-47.
The Ospreys fill an important role, Bauernfeind said, but AFSOC acknowledges that the V-22 is “1980s technology” and the service is reviewing what could provide the “next generation of capability.” For example, DARPA is developing an experimental vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can fly much faster than the Osprey…..
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