Since March 2022, the V-22 Osprey program has experienced four crashes, resulting in the loss of 20 American service members. The most recent incident occurred last November, when a crew of eight Air Force airmen died in a V-22 crash off the coast of Japan. This crash, along with previous ones, prompted a service-wide stand-down of the Osprey as the investigation into the November 2023 crash progressed.
The investigation revealed that a “catastrophic failure” in one of the aircraft’s gearboxes contributed to the crash. In May, the aircraft resumed flights but only within 30 minutes of an alternate landing site.
Signs of progress have emerged. The aircraft will be deployed again, albeit with the same restrictions. Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, the new commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command, confirmed this development.
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“We have about 60% of the fleet back to flying. We have a similar number of aircrew fully returned.” Conley said. “We followed a crawl, walk, run approach, requalifying our instructors and evaluators quickly, then trickling down to copilots and others in the squadron.”
While Conley did not disclose the deployment locations for the Ospreys, he did confirm that they would not be sent to Europe or the Indo-Pacific. Speaking at the 2024 Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in September, he expressed satisfaction with the program’s current status.
“We grounded the fleet for the right reasons, based on the evidence we had at the time,” Conley explained. “During the grounding period, we learned more. We reflected on the whole program, and what kept us grounded was not necessarily what grounded us initially. We have been deliberate, slow, and methodical to ensure we used the time wisely to bring us back up to speed.”
As one of the few aircraft used by multiple service branches, the stand-down provided an opportunity to strengthen inter-service relationships. Conley noted that everyone involved worked together to get the V-22s back in the air.
“Sometimes opportunity arises from crisis. The relationship we have now with NAVAIR, the Marine Corps, PMA-275, and General Richardson’s team at AFMC is probably as strong as it has ever been. As we look to keep the DoD V-22 fleet relevant for decades, these partnerships have grown stronger,” Conley said.
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Regarding guidance for crews potentially facing the same issues that contributed to the November 2023 crash, Conley mentioned new safety procedures. Pilots are now advised to land after a second warning about metal fragments in the Osprey gearbox, whereas the previous standard called for three warnings before a mandatory landing.
“At the end of the day, aircraft commander and crew discretion will always play a role. The environments are unique depending on where we fly and what we do, but we have tightened the guidance to reduce ambiguity for the crews,” Conley stated.
In June, U.S. Naval Air Systems Command Chief Vice Adm. Carl Chebi informed a congressional hearing that the Osprey would not return to full-flight status until sometime in 2025.
Ryan Robertson
THIS RECORDING MARKS THE 40TH EPISODE OF ‘WEAPONS AND WARFARE’. AND THOUGH WE HAVEN’T BEEN AROUND FOR A PARTICULARLY LONG TIME, THERE’S ONE STORY WE’VE FOLLOWED ALMOST FROM THE START. THE V-22 OSPREY. AND THIS WEEK, WE HAVE AN UPDATE.
SINCE MARCH 2022, THE PROGRAM SAW FOUR CRASHES AND THE LOSS OF 20 AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS. MOST RECENTLY, WAS LAST NOVEMBER, WHEN A CREW OF 8 AIR FORCE AIRMEN LOST THEIR LIVES IN A V-22 CRASH OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN.
THAT CRASH, AND THE STRING OF CRASHES BEFORE IT, PROMPTED A SERVICE-WIDE STANDOWN OF THE OSPREY AS THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE NOVEMBER 2023 CRASH MOVED FORWARD.
THE EXAMINATION FOUND THE CRASH, AT LEAST IN PART, WAS CAUSED BY A “CATASTROPHIC FAILURE” IN ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT’S GEARBOXES. IN MAY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALLOWED TO FLY AGAIN, BUT ONLY WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF AN ALTERNATE LANDING SITE.
BUT THERE ARE SIGNS OF PROGRESS.
NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE DEPLOYED ONCE AGAIN, ALBEIT WITH THE SAME RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE. THAT’S THE WORD FROM THE NEW COMMANDER OF THE AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND, LIEUTENANT GENERAL MICHAEL CONLEY.
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, Commander, USAF Spec. Ops. Command
“We’re about 60% of the fleet that’s returned to flying. We’ve got about the same number of air crew that are return returned fully. We’ve had a crawl, walk, run where, you know, we’ve kind of pyramided this with we had to get our instructors and evaluators requalified and back up to speed quickly. And then as they went through and became fully mission ready again, we trickled that down into CO pilots and in the others in the squadron.”
Ryan Robertson
WHILE GENERAL CONLEY WOULDN’T SAY WHERE THE OSPREYS WOULD BE DEPLOYED, HE DID CONFIRM IT WOULD NOT BE TO EUROPE OR THE INDO-PACIFIC. SPEAKING AT THE AIR, SPACE, AND CYBER 2024 CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER, HE DID SAY HE WAS HAPPY WITH THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROGRAM.
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, Commander, USAF Spec. Ops. Command
“We grounded the fleet for the right reasons, based on the evidence we had at the time and during the during the grounding period, we just learned other thing. I mean, we had the opportunity to reflect on the whole program, and what kept us grounded is not necessarily what got us grounded in the first place. So as we’ve gone through, you know, the whole program, and looked at each aircraft, specifically, gone through all the parts just to make sure the bookkeeping was tight, it’s just taken time. We’ve been very deliberate and slow and methodical to make sure that we use that time wisely to bring us back up to speed.”
Ryan Robertson
AS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF AIRCRAFT THAT ARE USED BY MORE THAN ONE BRANCH OF SERVICE, CONLEY SAYS THE STAND DOWN ALSO PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON THOSE INTER-SERVICE RELATIONSHIPS AS EVERYONE INVOLVED WORKED TO GET THE V-22s BACK IN THE AIR.
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, Commander, USAF Spec. Ops. Command
“I would suggest right now that sometimes there’s opportunity that comes out of crisis in the relationship we have right now with NAVAIR, the Marine Corps, PMA, 275, and general Richardson’s team at AFMC is probably as strong as it’s ever been. We as we look to what the future moves need to be, as we look to keep the V 22 fleet rich, the DoD V 22 fleet relevant for decades to come, the partnerships have gotten stronger.”
Ryan Robertson
IN TERMS OF GUIDANCE FOR CREWS THAT MAY POTENTIALLY FACE THE SAME ISSUES WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE NOVEMBER 2023 CRASH, GENERAL CONLEY SAYS THERE ARE NEW SAFETY PROCEDURES IN PLACE. PILOTS ARE NOW ADVISED TO LAND AFTER A SECOND WARNING ABOUT METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE OSPREY GEARBOX. PREVIOUSLY THE STANDARD CALLED FOR THREE WARNINGS BEFORE A MANDATORY LANDING.
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, Commander, USAF Spec. Ops. Command
“You know, at the end of the day, there will always be aircraft commander and crew discretion. It’s the nature of what we do. The you know, the environments are unique depending on where we fly and what we’re doing, but we have tightened up the guidance to try to take less ambiguity, to create make it less ambiguous to the crews up there.
Ryan Robertson
IN JUNE, U-S NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND CHIEF VICE ADMIRAL CARL CHEBI TOLD A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING THE OSPREY WON’T RETURN TO FULL-FLIGHT STATUS UNTIL SOMETIME IN 2025.
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