V-22 fleet operations restricted following new incident

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is once again pausing operations of the troubled V-22 Osprey after a recent incident involving an Air Force variant of the tri-service tiltrotor, officials confirmed to Breaking Defense today.

In a statement, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said that “[o]ut of an abundance of caution, NAVAIR recommended an operational pause for all V-22 Osprey variants Dec. 6, 2024” following a “precautionary landing of a CV-22” that caused no injuries. 

“The safety of our V-22 aircrew is our top priority. We are committed to ensuring our Sailors, Airmen and Marines are able to successfully complete their missions and return home safely,” NAVAIR said. 

The Associated Press first reported the pause.  

Osprey variants include the Air Force’s CV-22, the Marine Corps’ MV-22 and the Navy’s CMV-22B. NAVAIR hosts the lead program office for the V-22 across all fleets, though the individual services all make their own decisions for how to operate the Osprey.

This is the latest in a series of issues that have plagued the V-22 over the last two years.

In August 2022, Breaking Defense first reported that the Air Force was grounding its CV-22 fleet over safety concerns with the clutch of the aircraft. At the time, the Marine Corps did not follow suit, instead insisting their pilots could compensate for the issue and had been doing so for some time. While the Air Force returned to flight weeks later, the issue re-emerged and a Pentagon-wide grounding across a “subset” of the Navy, Air Force and Marine V-22 models was instituted in February 2023.

That was followed by a November 2023 crash off the coast of Japan that killed 8 airmen, with the Osprey only returning to operations months later. 

In a statement to Breaking Defense today, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the Air Force component that operates the CV-22, confirmed that its Osprey operations would be paused after AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Michael Conley ordered it for “all CV-22 flight training operations.” 

The pause “allows time and space for us to understand what happened in the most recent event before we accept risk with unknown variables,” according to AFSOC.

A spokesperson for AFSOC said an initial investigation showed a “material failure” precipitated the recent incident, which the Associated Press reported occurred in November.

The spokesperson additionally clarified that for AFSOC V-22s, the pause falls short of a full grounding, as restricted flight operations may be permitted under certain circumstances. 

After publication of this article, a Navy spokesperson said that Naval Air Forces Commander Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever today “directed an operational pause for all US Navy CMV-22B Ospreys following the recommendation by Naval Air Systems Command.

“The safety of our CMV-22B aircrew is our top priority. We are committed to ensuring our Sailors and airmen are able to successfully complete their missions and return home safely,” the spokesperson added.

A Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed after publication of this article that the service would adhere to NAVAIR’s recommendation, writing in a statement that Marine Corps officials “decided to implement a 96-hour operational pause for non-essential flight operations starting on December 6, 2024.

“This decision underscores our unwavering commitment to the safety of our personnel and the reliability of our aviation platforms,” the statement adds. “This pause will give us time to determine if any additional measures are necessary to ensure the continued safety and effectiveness of this critical capability. The Marine Corps remains confident in the safety and effectiveness of the MV-22.”

The Osprey is jointly manufactured by Bell and Boeing. Bell did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Boeing referred inquiries to the Pentagon.

Ashley Roque and Valerie Insinna contributed to this report.

UPDATED 12/9/24 at 2:45 PM with comment from the Marine Corps, following comment from the Navy.