US Marine Corps takes delivery of final MV-22B Osprey, completing 359-aircraft procurement

Published Jul 28, 09:00 PM UTC

The U.S. Marine Corps has taken delivery of its final MV-22B Osprey, completing procurement of 359 tiltrotor aircraft over two decades. The Osprey, which entered service in 2007, replaced the CH-46 Sea Knight and serves as the backbone of Marine aviation within the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Lt. Gen. William Swan highlighted the aircraft's transformative impact on operational reach and combat power generation. The Osprey has logged over 686,500 flight hours across 114 deployments. However, the fleet has faced mechanical issues, including hard clutch engagements linked to a 2022 crash that killed five Marines. No such incidents have been reported since February 2023, but flight restrictions remain on certain Proprotor Gearboxes. The Marine Corps will now focus on sustaining and modernizing the fleet, with the Osprey expected to remain in service until 2055.