US Marine Corps takes delivery of final MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft

Published Jul 28, 09:00 PM UTC

The U.S. Marine Corps has taken delivery of its final MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, completing procurement of 359 units over two decades. The Osprey, which can take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane, has become the backbone of Marine aviation, replacing the CH-46 Sea Knight. Lt. Gen. William Swan stated the aircraft transformed Marine aviation by connecting ships, bases, and forward positions in unprecedented ways. The Osprey accounts for 75% of the Corps' rotary-wing assault support capability and has logged over 686,500 flight hours across 114 deployments. However, the fleet has faced mechanical issues, including hard clutch engagements that caused a fatal 2022 crash and led to temporary grounding in 2023. No such failures have been reported since February 2023, though flight restrictions remain on certain gearboxes. The Marines will now focus on sustaining and modernizing the fleet, with the Osprey expected to remain in service through 2055.