Why Some US Pilots Don't Want A V-22 Osprey Replacement (2024)

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is truly a one-of-a-kind aircraft, one which can operate with the versatility of a helicopter by performing vertical landing maneuvers but which can also fly at the speed of an aircraft, using first-of-its-kind tilt-rotor technology to shift between horizontal and vertical flight modes with ease. When the aircraft first entered service in 2007, the plane broke ground and quickly became a favorite of the United States Marine Corps and other allied forces.

Over time, however, the aircraft's once-stellar reputation for maintaining top-of-the-line operational capabilities came into question, following an extensive series of safety incidents that gave the aircraft a foreboding rap sheet, one which featured several fatal accidents. The situation had even gotten so bad that in 2023, there was a week in which two separate accidents took place in the same week.

Photo: United States Air Force

The aircraft's reputation took a turn for the worse

The Pentagon later grounded the aircraft over safety concerns, and when it did enter service there were serious questions raised about whether doing so was a mistake, and whether the lives of aviators were being again put at risk. However, despite a challenging safety reputation, there are still many who note the critical nature of V-22 Osprey operations and advocate strongly for the aircraft.

While some might expect the plane's biggest advocates to be generals in the Marine Corps who believe in the importance of the plane from an operational perspective, the reverse is actually more likely to be true. Overwhelmingly, V-22 Osprey operators, those who would continue to put their lives on the line by flying this plane, are those who advocate most strongly for the aircraft not being retired in favor of a more capable (and potentially safer) replacement. Let's take a deeper look at the story of the V-22 Osprey, what led to its woes, and why some Marine Aviators simply cannot bear to see the aircraft go.

Boeing

History and development: a trailblazing aircraft

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, a revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft, was designed to serve as a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with the speed capabilities of a turboprop aircraft. The plane was developed in the wake of the failure of Operation Eagle Claw when the United States attempted to rescue 52 embassy staff members during the Iran Hostage Crisis.

This operation demonstrated the need for long-range aircraft with VTOL capabilities, which would eventually give birth to the V-22 Osprey, a program launched by Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters in the early 1980s. The plane would first fly in 1989, after years of development, and its design would continue to be improved throughout the years, from an operational perspective.

The United States Marine Corps first placed the Osprey into service in 2007, when the organization used it to replace the aging CH-56 Sea Knight, a tandem rotor aircraft with similar lifting capabilities that could not fly long distances. The Air Force eventually adopted the CV-22B, a different Osprey variant, for special operations and medical evacuation missions.

Photo: United States Air Force

The aircraft has even proven more versatile over time, with a third branch of the military, the United States Navy, deciding to use the aircraft for its carrier fleet starting in 2021. Onboard aircraft carriers, the Osprey can utilize its vertical takeoff capabilities while also flying the distances needed to serve the logistical support routes the Navy needs.

But just how problematic have the aircraft's safety issues become?

The answer to this question is slightly complex, as the honest answer is that the V-22 Osprey has become in no way "more problematic over time." It has simply always been a safety hazard and over the years the aircraft has been involved in far more accidents than similar aircraft.

Photo: United States Air Force

Teething issues, or safety challenges that arise during an aircraft's early years of operation, are normal for aircraft families, especially those that introduce new kinds of technology as the V-22 did with tilt-rotor capabilities. Some Osprey contemporaries with similar safety records throughout the first few years of military service include:

• Bell UH-1 Iroquois
• Sikorsky H-60

Where the V-22 Osprey has differentiated itself, however, is in the years following the initial service period. While most aircraft teething issues are resolved relatively quickly, the V-22's accident record has remained far more problematic than any other helicopter or propellor-powered aircraft in the inventory of the U.S. Armed Forces. In terms of Class B accidents, which are those that are nonfatal but still may result in millions in damages, there isn't nearly another aircraft close to comparing to the V-22's problematic record, according to a breakdown from the Associated Press.

Photo: United States Navy

So why do most V-22 pilots want to keep the plane around?

To put it mildly, V-22 pilots have immense trust in the aircraft and understand that its capabilities are unmatched, something apparently worth it when considering the long-term safety risks involved. In an interview with PBS News, Captain Dave Schroeder, an Osprey instructor pilot, had the following words to share:

"I'm fully confident in the way that this aircraft performs and I trust my life in it. The flexibility it provides and the speed of range that we can operate is really unmatched."

Photo: viper-zero | Shutterstock

Despite this, Schroeder later went on to note that the aircraft's safety record was completely unacceptable and that the string of accidents was disappointing. For this reason, lawmakers have routinely attempted to kill the program, with many in Congress saying that the next V-22 crash will immediately result in the program's termination. Nonetheless, the Pentagon indicates that new safety features continue to be added to the V-22, attempting to address some of these challenges going forward.