- The U.S. Marine Corps has completed the MV-22B Osprey program of record with the delivery of the 359th aircraft built by the Bell-Boeing team
- The milestone shifts the program from aircraft production to long-term sustainment and modernization through 2055
- Since initial operational capability in 2007, the MV-22B fleet has logged more than 686,500 flight hours across 114 operational deployments
The U.S. Marine Corps and its industry partners, Bell Textron and Boeing, marked the completion of the MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor program of record on July 28 with the delivery of the 359th aircraft, concluding a decades-long production effort and transitioning to long-term fleet sustainment and modernization.
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How Has the MV-22B Transformed Marine Aviation?
The MV-22B Osprey fundamentally changed how the Marine Air-Ground Task Force generates combat power by giving commanders greater operational flexibility and reach, said Lt. Gen. William Swan, deputy commandant for aviation.
“It provides commanders with decision space that only speed and reach can provide, connecting ships, bases and distributed forces in ways previous generations could only imagine,” he said. “Today, Marine commanders build operations around the assumption that the MV-22B will be there.”
Designed to combine the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft, the MV-22B enables Marines to rapidly transport personnel and cargo from amphibious ships and expeditionary shore locations.
With more than 686,500 flight hours across 114 operational deployments since achieving initial operational capability in 2007, the tiltrotor aircraft supports combat, logistics, medical evacuation and humanitarian missions worldwide. Now providing 75 percent of the Marine Corps’ rotary-wing assault support capability, the MV-22’s operational record highlights the success of the joint acquisition program.
What Does the Milestone Mean for Industry?
The production milestone reflects the work of the employees who designed and built the aircraft throughout the program’s lifecycle, said Eldon Metzger, Bell’s V-22 program director, in a seperate release from Textron.
“Accomplishing the program of record reflects the hard work of the entire MV-22 team—engineers, technicians, and our supplier partners—who continue to deliver a capability that helps the USMC operate with speed, range, and flexibility,” Danielle Hoelzer, V-22 program director at Boeing. “The MV-22’s proven and continued performance is a testament to the partnership between Bell and Boeing, and we remain committed to keeping the fleet mission-ready well into the future.”
How Will the Marine Corps Modernize the MV-22B Fleet?
With aircraft deliveries complete, the Marine Corps and the V-22 Joint Program Office are executing a long-term modernization strategy intended to keep the MV-22B operational through at least 2055.
Current initiatives include improving nacelle wiring to reduce maintenance hours, introducing enhanced prop-rotor gearboxes manufactured with triple-melted refined steel components, standardizing aircraft configurations across the fleet and redesigning critical components to improve safety, reliability and long-term sustainability.
