The Navy’s V-22 Osprey program office at Naval Air Station Patuxent River and manufacturer Bell Boeing are widening the circle of companies that keep the tiltrotor fleet supplied, with the goal of keeping the aircraft flying beyond 2055.
A recent meeting of the Team Osprey Working Group brought together about 200 defense experts from six allied nations and seven U.S. government agencies, along with more than 35 defense, engineering and manufacturing suppliers, according to a Department of War release reported by Defence Industry Europe. Fourteen companies took part for the first time.
The work is led by Bell Boeing and PMA-275, the V-22 Joint Program Office within Naval Air Systems Command. The group focused on three areas: parts the fleet needs now, making components more reliable and modernizing the aircraft’s technology.
Col. Robert Hurst, the PMA-275 program manager, said syncing the global supply chain and bringing in technical improvements leads to “higher material availability on the flight line.”
Three services, three missions
The Osprey takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies like an airplane. Each service that flies it has different needs:
- Marine Corps: its core medium-lift aircraft, carrying troops and providing assault support.
- Navy: carrier onboard delivery, moving supplies, passengers and high-value cargo to carrier strike groups.
- Special operations: long-range insertion, extraction and resupply for U.S. Special Operations Command and Air Force Special Operations Command.
The program office said continued coordination on research, sustainment and fleet support is meant to keep the Osprey’s capabilities in service for decades.
