The V-22 / Bin Laden Connection
Posted by
Amy Butler 2:42 AM on Jul 06, 2012
Bell/Boeing is starting an aggressive international sales push for its V-22 tiltrotor at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford today.
The U.S. Marine Corps has brought four of the Ospreys, which takeoff and land like a helicopter but can fly up to 300 kts like a fixed-wing aircraft, to RIAT. And, they will be on static and flying display next week at the Farnborough air show.
The history of the V-22 is well known; the tiltrotor has survived many attempts by defense secretaries to kill it owing to four crashes in its protracted development. Though the aircraft has recently proven itself during deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. And, an MV-22 based rescue of an F-15E crew downed in Libya got the attention of the United Arab Emirates, which is eyeing the CV-22 version for its military. Israel and Canada are said to be interested as well.
But, a little known tidbit has been circulating in the Pentagon that will add to the V-22’s credo – according to some – and notoriety – according to others. After U.S. special forces raided 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan last year, a CV-22 was used to transport his body to the USS Carl Vinson. Onboard the aircraft carrier, officials prepared the body for a burial in the North Arabian sea. Pentagon officials said no nation was willing to accept the remains.
It is notable that the MV-22 only recently conducted trials on a U.S. aircraft carrier. Because the CV-22 was designed for transporting special operations forces, this aircraft has likely been used on decks and instrumental in covert missions for some time.
The Pentagon is buying 360 MV-22s for the Marines; 53 CV-22s for U.S. forces and, potentially, around 50 for the Navy.
Despite some notable operational achievements, the Bell/Boeing team will have to address concerns from customers about the high cost of the aircraft. Pentagon officials put the per-unit price at $67 million, though they say the cost-per-flying-hour is coming down. Company officials often say the price of the aircraft is balanced by its operational flexibility owing to a mix of speed and vertical lift.
Aviation Week & Space technology
The V-22 / Bin Laden Connection