Military Stops Buying Ospreys
The three branches of the military that fly the V-22 Osprey have confirmed they will not buy any more of the tiltrotor aircraft after current contracts are fulfilled. Military.com is…
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The three branches of the military that fly the V-22 Osprey have confirmed they will not buy any more of the tiltrotor aircraft after current contracts are fulfilled. Military.com is reporting that the Navy, Marines and Air Force say they don't need any more Ospreys, but they also confirm the distinctive aircraft will serve for decades. They estimate the complex platforms will be in the air through the 2050s. "We aren't buying more CV-22s because we are at our program of record (54 aircraft) and are meeting requirements," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Military.com.
In addition to the 54 Ospreys operated by the Air Force, the final number of aircraft for the Marines will be 360 and the Navy will fly 48. To keep those airframes flying until mid-century, they'll have to solve a vexing issue with clutches in the complex power transfer system that distributes power to the two rotors. So far, it seems like simple wear and tear on the drive between the engines and gearbox is the main culprit.
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