"There's a reality that aviation is incredibly expensive," AFSOC head Lt. Gen. Michael Conley said. "So I'm really challenging the team to figure out, what can we do with the things we already have that we haven't done in the past?"
“We had some learning in the middle,” said V-22 Program Manager Marine Corps Col. Robert Hurst, “and that learning in the middle took us from the summer of ‘25 to start in the spring of ‘26.”
Modeling and simulation get an AI upgrade for more realistic training and improved autonomous platforms.
The new aviation plan was signed by the deputy commandant and published Monday, shortly after a new report from the Pentagon’s top weapons tester that identified persistent issues plaguing the F-35 enterprise.
The Air Force notched key successes in 2024, but also saw setbacks for some of the service's biggest priorities.
A source with knowledge of the program said the restrictions will require pilots to maintain certain altitudes and plan out flight paths to ensure they can land safely if an incident arises.
"Out 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, according to a statement.
Explore how networked warfare, AI, and 3D-printed drones are reshaping US Indo-Pacific strategy.
“My whole fleet is not operationally running yet, but I have enough capacity and the right crews training to provide the capabilities on the battlefield," AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Michael Conley said.
The new report is the second investigation to conclude in recent weeks detailing a fatal crash involving a V-22 Osprey.
An Air Force official said that while the service has altered some policies and training as a result of the crash, broadly speaking the pilots will retain discretion about when to turn back. "We need our aircraft commanders to be trusted up there."
“I’ll assure you folks that we’re not going to let this matter drop,” House Oversight subcommittee chairman Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., told families of victims who attended a congressional hearing today on the safety of the V-22 Osprey.
As aircraft shrink, threats expand, and technology accelerates, aircraft engines must iterate along with the threats.
“It's our vocation to go fly this thing,” said 21st Special Operations Squadron commander Lt. Col. Matt Davis in his first interview since a V-22 crash killed eight servicemembers in November.
Despite all three US V-22 variants flying, they remain under safety restrictions, according to service acquisition officials.
If lawmakers could free up $250 million in the FY25 budget, the service could use that to purchase two additional CH-53K helicopters, or $341 million could be used for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm Cannon (ACV-30) line.
Pentagon officials say they have "high confidence" that they can return the V-22 Ospreys to flight safely, but are tight lipped on what they learned about the cause of a crash in Japan that killed eight airmen.