U.S. plans to keep V-22 Osprey flying past 2055

The U.S. military’s V-22 Osprey program office and manufacturer Bell Boeing have brought 14 new companies into the tiltrotor’s supply chain as they work to keep the aircraft flying past 2055, after years of gearbox failures, fatal crashes and flight restrictions that have kept large parts of the fleet on the ground.

The new suppliers joined a recent Team Osprey Working Group hosted by the V-22 Joint Program Office, known as PMA-275, and Bell Boeing. About 200 people from six allied nations, seven U.S. government agencies and more than 35 defense, engineering and manufacturing companies took part, according to the program office, which focused the meeting on improving parts availability, component reliability and modernization. The program office did not say when or where the meeting took place, name the new suppliers, or identify the allied nations.

“Synchronizing our global supply chain and integrating technical innovations directly translates to higher material availability on the flight line,” said Col. Robert Hurst, PMA-275 program manager. “Optimizing component reliability across our defense industry partners ensures deployed commanders maintain the rapid expeditionary lift and logistical flexibility required to operate effectively in high-threat environments.”

The Osprey takes off and lands like a helicopter but tilts its rotors forward to fly like a turboprop airplane, giving it more speed and range than conventional helicopters. The U.S. Marine Corps uses the MV-22 as its main medium-lift aircraft to move troops and cargo. The U.S. Navy flies the CMV-22 to deliver people and supplies to aircraft carriers at sea, a job it took over completely when the Navy retired its last C-2 Greyhound cargo planes this year. Air Force Special Operations Command uses the CV-22 to insert and recover special operations forces. Japan is the only foreign operator.

The program has spent the past several years dealing with problems in the Osprey’s proprotor gearbox, the transmission that sends engine power to the rotors. Four V-22 crashes since 2022 have killed 20 U.S. service members, and investigations tied several of them to gearbox failures or to a sudden clutch re-engagement known as hard clutch engagement. After a CV-22 crashed off Japan in November 2023, killing eight airmen, the entire U.S. fleet was grounded until March 2024 and has since flown under range and other restrictions.

Deliveries of redesigned gearboxes with stronger, triple-melted steel components began in January 2026, with about 12 units arriving each month. The Marine Corps’ aviation plan estimates an unrestricted operational fleet by December 2027, while the full gearbox upgrades are scheduled to finish in 2029 for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy and in 2033 for the U.S. Marine Corps.

PMA-275 manages development, purchasing and sustainment for all three U.S. variants and for Japan’s fleet.