V-22 Osprey .pdf

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background

and Issues for Congress

Ronald O'Rourke

Specialist in Naval Affairs

September 16, 2009

Congressional Research Service

7-5700

www.crs.gov

RL31384

CRS Report for Congress

Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress

Summary

The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and flies

forward like an airplane. Department of Defense (DOD) plans call for procuring a total of 458 V-

22s—360 MV-22s for the Marine Corps; 50 CV-22 special operations variants for U.S. Special

Operations Command, or USSOCOM (funded jointly by the Air Force and USSOCOM); and 48

HV-22s for the Navy.

Through FY2009, a total of 181 V-22s have been procured—155 MV-22s for the Marine Corps,

and 26 CV-22s for USSOCOM. These totals include several V-22s that have been procured in

recent years through supplemental appropriations bills.

The proposed FY2010 budget requests funding for the procurement of 30 MV-22s and five CV-

22s. The budget requests about $2.3 billion in procurement and advance procurement funding for

procurement of MV-22s, and about $565 million in procurement and advance procurement

funding for procurement of CV-22s.

For FY2010, the V-22 program poses potential a number of potential oversight issues for

Congress, including the aircraft’s reliability and maintainability.

A June 23, 2009, hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

reviewed a number of issues concerning the V-22 program, including the aircraft’s reliability and

maintainability.

FY2010 defense authorization bill: The House Armed Services Committee, in its report

(H.Rept. 111-166 of June 18, 2009) on the FY2010 defense authorization bill (H.R. 2647), and

the Senate Armed Services Committee, in Division D of the FY2010 defense authorization bill (S.

1390) as reported by the committee (S.Rept. 111-35 of July 2, 2009), both recommend approving

the administration’s FY2010 request for procurement and advance procurement funding for the

procurement of MV-22s and CV-22s.

FY2010 DOD appropriations bill: The House and Senate Appropriations Committees, in their

reports (H.Rept. 111-230 of July 24, 2009 and S.Rept. 111-74 of September 10, 2009,

respectively) on the FY2010 defense appropriations bill (H.R. 3326), both recommend approving

the administration’s FY2010 request for procurement and advance procurement funding for the

procurement of MV-22s and CV-22s.

Congressional Research Service

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1

Background ................................................................................................................................ 1

The V-22 In Brief .................................................................................................................. 1

Intended Missions ................................................................................................................. 2

Key Contractors .................................................................................................................... 3

Procurement Quantities ......................................................................................................... 3

Total Quantities............................................................................................................... 3

Annual Quantities ........................................................................................................... 3

Multiyear Procurement (MYP) for FY2008-FY2012 ............................................................. 4

Cost and Funding .................................................................................................................. 4

Total Program Cost ......................................................................................................... 4

Prior-Year Funding.......................................................................................................... 5

FY2010 Funding Request................................................................................................ 5

Program History and Milestones ........................................................................................... 5

Initial Deployments............................................................................................................... 6

Foreign Military Sales........................................................................................................... 7

GAO Assessments.................................................................................................................7

March 2009 GAO Report ................................................................................................ 7

May 2009 GAO Report ................................................................................................... 8

Issues For Congress .................................................................................................................... 9

Aircraft Reliability and Maintainability ................................................................................. 9

May 2009 Navy and Marine Corps Testimony................................................................. 9

May 2009 GAO Report ................................................................................................. 10

Press Articles ................................................................................................................ 13

Readiness For Higher Production Rate ................................................................................ 15

Operational Capabilities ...................................................................................................... 15

June 23, 2009, Hearing on V-22 Program ............................................................................ 19

Legislative Activity in 2009 ...................................................................................................... 20

FY2010 Funding Request for Procurement of V-22s ............................................................ 20

FY2010 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 2647/S. 1390) .................................................... 21

House ...........................................................................................................................21

Senate ........................................................................................................................... 21

FY2010 DOD Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3326).................................................................... 22

House ...........................................................................................................................22

Senate ........................................................................................................................... 22

FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 2346/P.L. 111-32)..................................... 22

Request.........................................................................................................................22

House ...........................................................................................................................22

Senate ........................................................................................................................... 22

Conference.................................................................................................................... 22

Figures

Figure 1. MV-22 Osprey.............................................................................................................. 2

Congressional Research Service

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress

Tables

Table 1. Annual V-22 Procurement Quantities ............................................................................. 4

Appendixes

Appendix A. June 23, 2009, Hearing on V-22 Program.............................................................. 23

Appendix B. V-22 Program History........................................................................................... 39

Appendix C. General Arguments Made by Supporters and Opponents of the V-22 ..................... 47

Contacts

Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................48

Congressional Research Service

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress

Introduction

The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and flies

forward like an airplane. Department of Defense (DOD) plans call for procuring a total of 458 V-

22s—360 MV-22s for the Marine Corps; 50 CV-22 special operations variants for U.S. Special

Operations Command, or USSOCOM (funded jointly by the Air Force and USSOCOM); and 48

HV-22s for the Navy.

Through FY2009, a total of 181 V-22s have been procured—155 MV-22s for the Marine Corps

and 26 CV-22s for USSOCOM. These totals include several V-22s that have been procured in

recent years through supplemental appropriations bills.

The proposed FY2010 budget requests funding for the procurement of 30 MV-22s and five CV-

22s. The budget requests about $2.3 billion in procurement and advance procurement funding for

procurement of MV-22s, and about $565 million in procurement and advance procurement

funding for procurement of CV-22s.

For FY2010, the V-22 program poses potential a number of potential oversight issues for

Congress, including the aircraft’s reliability and maintainability.

A June 23, 2009, hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

reviewed a number of issues concerning the V-22 program, including the aircraft’s reliability and

maintainability.

Background

The V-22 In Brief

The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and flies

forward like an airplane. For taking off and landing, the aircraft’s two wingtip-mounted engine

nacelles are rotated (i.e., tilted) upward, so that the rotors function like a helicopter’s rotor blades.

For forward flight, the nacelles are rotated 90 degrees forward, so that the rotors function like an

airplane’s propellers. The Navy states that the V-22 “performs VTOL [vertical takeoff and

landing] missions as effectively as a conventional helicopter while also having the long-range

cruise abilities of a twin turboprop aircraft.” 1

The MV-22 is designed to transport 24 fully equipped Marines at a cruising speed of about 250

knots (about 288 mph), exceeding the performance of the Marine Corps CH-46 medium-lift

assault helicopters that MV-22s are to replace. The CV-22 has about 90% airframe commonality

with the MV-22; the primary differences between the two variants are in their avionics. The CV-

22 is designed to carry 18 troops, with auxiliary fuel tanks increasing the aircraft’s combat radius

to about 500 miles.

1 U.S. Navy Fact File, “V-22A Osprey tilt rotor aircraft,” available at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?

cid=1200&tid=800&ct=1&page=1.

Congressional Research Service

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