The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor has logged more than 600,000 flight hours, according to an announcement from Boeing this week. The V-22 fleet currently includes more than 400 aircraft with variants operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The Osprey fleet passed the 500,000 flight-hour mark in 2019.
“There is no other aircraft in the world capable of matching the unique capabilities of the Osprey,” said Kurt Fuller, Bell V-22 vice president and Bell Boeing program director. “The 600,000 flight-hours represent countless tactical, logistical and humanitarian assistance missions, and the dedication of the men and women who maintain and operate the aircraft every day.”
The Osprey flew for the first time in 1989 and entered service with the U.S. Marine Corp in 2007. As previously reported by AVweb, the latest variant, the CMV-22B, completed its first flight in January 2020. The Rolls-Royce Liberty AE1107C-powered CMV-22B, which will replace the U.S. Navy’s C-2A Greyhound fleet, cruises at 269 knots, can carry up to 6,000 pounds and has a range of 1,150 NM.
