Information and questions about the MV-22 / CV-22 Osprey

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001708349

One interesting little factoid:
...The Defense Ministry plans to introduce 17 Ospreys into the SDF from fiscal 2015, and is considering deploying them at Saga Airport in Saga Prefecture. The government also has decided to offer the GSDF’s Kisarazu base in Chiba Prefecture as a maintenance site for U.S. military Ospreys. Given these developments, flights by Japanese and U.S. Ospreys over the main Japanese islands are certain to increase in the years ahead. [snip]
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Wonder if Japan got the same bargain basement deal that the Israeli's just waved off on?
 
Well Japan decided to go ahead with getting Osprey. Wonder if the Israeli's will change their mind before the witching hour.
 
Israel's got a lot of politics, internal and international, going on with their military purchases right now. I wouldn't be surprised to see their minds change a few more time in regards to the Osprey.
 
Via MilitaryPhotos.net:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/tech/2014/12/28/v-22-osprey-to-become-a-tanker/20804783/

http://gizmodo.com/bells-newest-tiltrotor-could-finally-fix-the-ospreys-fe-1646800976/1676120011/+andrewtarantola
 
I could have sworn we had a dedicated thread on the Phantom Badger. Oh well.

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20140422-phantom-badger-reports-for-duty
 
For the last time ever, via Bou3lam over at MilitaryPhotos.net:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ROJwL2suUMI
 
V22 crash in Hawaii: 1 fatality, 21 injured. Appears to have been an excessive descent speed. We'll have to wait to find out the root cause.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marine-killed-others-hurt-in-hawaii-military-osprey-aircraft-crash/
 
"Root cause"? That doesn't matter. The spin machine is already working.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/163770/ripples-from-fatal-osprey-crash-reach-japan.html

It could have been struck by a meteor and some would still say it was due to poor design and the evil MIC.
 
It will be interesting to see how the usual detractors can sway opinion in the face of > 200,000 operational hours, combat service in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa and now just recently SOF operations in Syria that killed several important ISIS leaders. Not impossible. Just a little more difficult than before. Meanwhile, Ospreys are still helping earthquake survivors in Nepal.
 
Sadly the Okinawa political leaders are going to make hay from this even if the investigation goes really smoothly.
 
Conversely, after so many years of battle, the DoD no doubt has the "Case Red" file out of the safe and the counter-spin efforts are being put into place for the coming onslaught.
 
Via the Daily Telegraph:
Potd-osprey_3334669k.jpg

A U.S. Marine Osprey sends up a big wash of rain as as it lands near the Bavarian town of Kruen. The Ospreys provided transport to Air Force One in Munich for members of U.S. President Barack Obama's staff, Secret Service, White House Press Corps and other personnel at the G7 Summit.

Picture: Reuters
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My backside is sore just thinking about this...

Thats like ~23 hours of flight time at cruise.

Published on Nov 16, 2015

The longest flight in MV-22 history was conducted by U.S. Marines on November 14, 2015. The flight was from Miramar, CA to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 6165 miles. This movement was in support of UNITAS Amphibious Operations 2015. Units - Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452 and Fixed Wing Transport Squadron 234, Marine Air Group 41, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfajDL-Oa84
 
"Hawaii V-22 Accident Investigation Points To New Ingestion Issue"
Oct 19, 2015 Bill Sweetman | Aviation Week & Space Technology

Source:
http://aviationweek.com/defense/hawaii-v-22-accident-investigation-points-new-ingestion-issue
 
Some more information on the flight to South America.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/11/17/osprey-mission-sets-distance-record-unitas/75933386/
 
So it takes 3 V-22's to haul Obama's golf cart and clubs. Looking at where they are flying looks more like Burbank rather than LAX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8mJCc69sCY
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wid35SIj8sk&feature=player_embedded

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/marine-mv-22-ospreys-become-californias-last-line-of-de-1765194997​
 
The decline in V-22 Osprey orders from the U.S. military in coming years means the tiltrotor transport’s manufacturers are likely to spend a lot of time wooing foreign military officers at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition May 16-18 at National Harbor, Md. – especially Britain’s new First Sea Lord, Adm. Sir Philip Jones.

Representatives from Bell Helicopter and Boeing Co., which make the V-22 in a 50-50 partnership, will have a V-22 fuselage on display at the Navy League conference. They surely would like to show Sir Philip, who is expected to attend, why they think the Royal Navy needs the new CMV-22B variant Osprey the U.S. Navy is buying for Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) – hauling cargo and passengers to and from aircraft carriers at sea.

The Navy awarded Bell-Boeing $151.3 million on March 31 to make engineering changes for the 44 Ospreys the service plans to buy to replace its aging fleet of C-2A Greyhound fixed-wing planes in COD missions. The Navy wants its CMV-22B to be able to carry up to 6,000 lbs. of cargo or passengers 1,150 nautical miles without refueling to support carrier strike group operations in the Pacific. That will require larger fuel tanks than Marine Corps MV-22Bs or Air Force CV-22Bs have. Because COD missions often require stops at civilian airports and transit through civilian airspace, the Navy also wants the CMV-22B to carry a high frequency, over-the-horizon radio. And it wants a public address system in the back cabin so the crew can communicate with passengers.

A key reason the navy wants the V-22 is its ability to carry F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engines. Another factor in its favor is the Marine Corps experiment building a V-22 Aerial Refueling System to serve as a midair refueling tanker for its F-35Bs, the vertical takeoff and landing version. Britain plans to buy 138 F-35Bs and will need aircraft of some sort to fly COD missions once the United Kingdom’s two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers go to sea.
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Rest on link.

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/05/tiltrotor-touters-hope-first-sea-lord-is-easy-prey/?__hstc=174454333.510fda1c3255590171cfb9e550505b15.1462812600211.1462812600211.1462812600211.1&__hssc=174454333.1.1462812600211&__hsfp=3050592305
 
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-us-marines-want-turn-the-mv-22-osprey-lethal-flying-tank-16578
 
Cobham Contracted to Develop Aerial Refueling Kit for V-22

Davenport, Iowa – Cobham has been awarded a contract by the Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office to develop a palletized aerial refuelling system to give the the U.S. Marine Corps’ MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft the ability refuel other aircraft while in flight.

The V-22 Aerial Refueling System (VARS) will use Cobham’s existing FR300 Hose Drum Unit with some modifications. The roll-on/roll-off kit will enable the Marines to use their land- and carrier-based MV-22B aircraft to refuel F-35B Lightning II and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, thereby extending their operational range and loiter times.

Design and production of VARS will occur at the Cobham Mission Systems facility in Davenport, Iowa. Deliveries of VARS will commence in 2018, upon completion of rigorous analysis and testing of the system.

Kevin McKeown, vice president and general manager of Cobham Mission Systems, said: “With VARS we continue the tradition of providing industry leading aerial refueling capability to war fighters. This program will enable the Marines to extend the flying range of their fighter aircraft and allow for efficient shipboard operations.”

http://www.aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com/article/cobham-develop-aerial-refueling-v22-102616/
 
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/pentagon-investigating-cause-marine-osprey-crash-off-coast-japan/
http://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1028550/crew-members-rescued-after-osprey-lands-in-shallow-water-off-okinawa
 
MV-22 Crash Off Okinawa Occurred During Nighttime Aerial Refueling; Halt In Operations Ordered

Tuesday’s MV-22 Osprey crash off the coast of Okinawa occurred while the crew was conducting an aerial refueling operation at night and damaged the aircraft, with the crew choosing to land the aircraft in the water instead of risking flying over civilian homes on the Japanese island, the commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force said in a press conference.

Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson said in a press conference today that the rotorcraft was conducting aerial refueling operations over the sea when the rotor blades struck the refueling line, damaging the aircraft.

https://news.usni.org/2016/12/14/v-22-crash-off-okinawa-occurred-during-nighttime-aerial-refueling-halt-in-operations-ordered
 
Night refuel in rotor craft is always a risky thing that requires constant training. I got to participate only once as an observer on the helicopter. I can tell you honestly that parts of my anatomy were all the way up in my throat.

Badly vibrating rotor craft; always best to "land immediately."
 
Marines resume Osprey flights on Okinawa

http://www.stripes.com/news/marines-resume-osprey-flights-on-okinawa-1.445154?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=Early%20Bird%20Brief%2012.19.2016&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief
 
CV-22 flyover. Not sure what the occasion was.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3T--3bs75s
 
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-marines-set-2019-target-for-osprey-tanker-fit-433899/
 
RFI issued for USAF CV-22B radar upgrade

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's International Defence Review

14 March 2017


All 50 USAF CV-22Bs will be equipped with improved AN/APQ-187 SKR for terrain avoidance. Source: US Air Force

The US Air Force (USAF) is moving forward with plans to integrate the Raytheon AN/APQ-187 Silent Knight Radar (SKR) onto its Bell-Boeing CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.

A request for information (RFI) for industry sources to provide support for the integration work was posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website by the US Naval Air System Command's (NAVAIR's) V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) on 9 March. The PMA-275 manages US Marine Corps' (USMC's) and USAF Special Operations Command's (AFSOC's) V-22 programmes.

The SKR upgrade is being implemented as part of the wider Block 30 enhancement for the CV-22B, which is the third major improvement for the CV-22 platform after the Block 10 and Block 20. The AN/APQ-187 SKR will replace the CV-22's current AN/APQ-186 multi-mode radar, which has diminishing manufacturing source (DMS) issues and rising ownership costs.

As noted by NAVAIR, this programme leverages the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)/160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR [A]) SKR effort to reduce costs and maximise SKR commonality with other special operations forces (SOF) aircraft. Besides the CV-22B, the SKR has been developed to equip Boeing MH-47G Chinook, Sikorsky MH-60M, and Lockheed Martin MC-130H SOF platforms also.

All 50 CV-22Bs in the USAF inventory will be equipped with the new SKR, which was designed specifically for tiltrotor and helicopter applications. Jane's C4ISR & Mission systems: Air describes the SKR as having colour weather detection/weather intensity, moving map, and high-resolution terrain feature displays; digital processing; low probability-of-intercept/detection; and skin paint air vehicle detection/location and sea surface target detection modes.

In 2015 the USSOCOM awarded a USD42.2 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract to provide lifecycle contractor support for the multi-mode radar, and SKR for the Technology Applications Program Office. The completion date has been estimated to be 30 June 2020. In May 2016 the USSOCOM awarded Raytheon an ID/IQ sole-source contract for no more than USD49.5 million for continued low-rate initial-production (LRIP) 1 of the SKR system, with completion of the contract expected by October 2018.
 
Given the small area that most of the vertical lift requirements are in, it is not surprising that they have decided not to invest in long range VTOL at this point. Besides in a few years when the prod line is in very high risk of shutting down there may be better deals to be had.
 
I understand your (good) point, but the value of tiltrotor is in its inherent fast response mode and long range.
So, as the IDF zone of action is expending, their need in fast CSAR is growing accordingly.
We have sadly seen what horrific fate pilots can meet. But beyond, we are talking about hostage crisis, fast SEAL like unit deployment aboard ship etc... Tailoring IDF response for sparing the cost of half a dozen of unit does not look like a good choice to me.
My uninformed 2cents obviously.
 
I agree with the points made. However in the age of vastly improved ADA, in areas with much of it and few(er) places to hide, there may be a desire to stay VERY low which can argue against higher speeds. It is a debate that will likely not recede anytime soon honestly.
 
Hood said:
Israel has frozen its evaluation of the V-22. It appears their evaluation has shown it can't do some of the missions currently undertaken by the CH-53 fleet.
This still leaves the CH-53K and CH-47 in contention.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israel-steps-back-from-v-22-purchase-442158/
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They were pretty hot and heavy about the V-22. Israel wants a replacement by 2025. I think they're waiting to see if the FVL program gets accelerated. The want the "best flying the best."
 
NeilChapman said:
They were pretty hot and heavy about the V-22. Israel wants a replacement by 2025. I think they're waiting to see if the FVL program gets accelerated. The want the "best flying the best."
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True, it could just be a convenient excuse to appease those with the Israeli MOD who have resisted the acquisition all along or to avoid the costs.
The V-280 probably will be better in several respects, but Israel might have a long wait before they get their hands on whatever production variant the V-280 leads to.

On the other hand despite all the hype we've heard about tilt-props and tilt-wings for the past 50 years that most projects have remain stillborn or experimental types. Only the Osprey has entered production in any numbers (far less than once predicted) and exports have been frustrated for several reasons. The commercial AW609 is a long running saga, some ten years late already and not with a bulging order book. Bell might get lucky with FVL but the traditional helicopter is still king in terms of orders. With the Blackhawk hanging around for another 50 years and production sites across the world its a fair bet that if the V-280 leads to a Blackhawk successor its never going to eclipse the success of that family. While US defence contracts will be lucrative, unless serious exports are made the tilt-prop is always going to be a niche product for certain roles and for those customers who share those needs and have the necessary cash.
 
That is a fair assessment I think. Mostly it is a a matter of practicality. Smaller states that do not have global concerns might find an aircraft like these to be less necessary. If you are conducting a majority of your missions within 100 miles of a base of operations the speed differiential just does not buy its way in. The USMC and USAF which have to operate on ever growing distances have a practical need for V-22. I believe the high speed rotorcraft (AW609, Airbus, Sikorsky, etc.,) will find a viable sector moving people from urban centers to others, deep sea oil sector, and long range medical.

There is also the possibility that the last vestiges of the industrial age, mass production (1000+ units) is coming to an end. Recently the General in charge of the US Army Aviation said in effect that if he did that, at current production rates he would be procuring obsolete aircraft for at least 20 of a 40 year production cycle. So, while the Osprey may seems relatively niche by industrial age standards, it is hard to judge in a world where technology is advancing so fast.

Of course specifically on the topic of Israeli V-22, we ought remember that IAI is a tier one member of the V-280 "Team Valor"; making engine nacelle I think. What a conundrum for the Bell Business Developers!
 
yasotay said:
...

Of course specifically on the topic of Israeli V-22, we ought remember that IAI is a tier one member of the V-280 "Team Valor"; making engine nacelle I think. What a conundrum for the Bell Business Developers!
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Thanks for pointing that out. As such, they might have some insight, on the back end, as to whether DoD is contemplating a reduction in the 2035 timeline.
 

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