USA:n asevoimat ei enää hanki uusia V-22 Osprey-tiltrotoreita, mutta operointi jatkuu

[Ilkka Mäkelä 1 228]

V-22 Ospreyt ovat olleet USA:n asevoimien eri aselajeilla käytössä yli 20 vuotta. Nyt näyttää siltä, että on tehty päätös lopettaa uusien yksilöiden hankinta, mutta nykyisillä n. 400 Ospreyllä aiotaan silti operoida mahdollisesti jopa kymmeniä vuosia, elleivät sitten jatkuvat tekniset ongelmat lopulta vie Ospreyt varhaiseläkkeelle.

Artikkelissa lisää tietoa tilanteesta.

Lainaa

• Since its first flight in 1989, the V-22 Osprey has provided a unique capability to the US military.

• Despite its development over the past three decades, the Osprey still faces mechanical issues.

• The Marines, Air Force, and Navy plan to fly Ospreys for decades, but they don't plan to buy any more.

• From cutting-edge stealth jets to heavily armed attack helicopters, as well as versatile cargo planes and voluminous tankers, the Pentagon has something for every type of aerial mission.

  But the emergence of more capable rivals and the arrival of new technology means some of the US military's go-to aircraft are running out of time.

  One of them is the V-22 Osprey, a unique and controversial aircraft that has carried conventional troops and special operators around the world for two decades.

• Now more than 400 Ospreys are in service with more than 600,000 flight hours since becoming operational. The V-22 is also in service with Japan's military, the first foreign force to operate it. Despite its progress and achievements, the Osprey has still struggled with mechanical problems.

  In August 2022, Air Force Special Operations Command grounded its CV-22s over issues with its clutch, which had caused several "safety incidents." In February, all three services said they would ground some of their Ospreys to replace a component related to the clutch.

  The problem is not new, with 15 such incidents over the past dozen years, but the military has struggled to determine its cause. The Pentagon is working with the manufacturer, Bell Boeing, to address the issue, but it may end up being the Osprey's final chapter.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/35-years-flight-us-military-105300396.html