OSPREY AIRCRAFT

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor military aircraft produced by the joint effort of Bell Helicopter and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. It is designed to combine the capabilities of a conventional helicopter with the high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft, featuring both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. In response to the failure of Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, the United States Department of Defense initiated the Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) program in 1981 to develop a transport aircraft suitable for specific military roles. Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters were awarded a development contract in 1983 for the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft.
The V-22 first flew in 1989 and underwent extensive testing and modifications due to the challenges of being the first tiltrotor for military service. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) began training crews for the MV-22B Osprey in 2000 and deployed it in 2007, later replacing their Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) introduced the CV-22B in 2009. The Osprey has been deployed in transportation and medical evacuation operations in regions such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Kuwait. The U.S. Navy plans to use the CMV-22B for carrier onboard delivery duties starting in 2021.