Bell-Boeing V-22 first flew 30 years ago this day

[chopper2004]

On this day 30 years ago, the V-22 took flight for the first time :)

Cheers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OL7X9Ueds4

[Lonewolf_50]

*What a long, strange trip it's been(Grateful Dead)* or maybe "Against all Odds(Phil Collins)" is the theme music.

Looks to be doing well these days.

[typerated]

I look at the Osprey as an example of why the west is doomed!

The Russian fly Mil-8s and they cost (and pulls numbers out of his bum!) 1/10th as much to buy and 1/20 to fly as an Osprey. Can lift more (fair enough they don't go as fast) and be maintained by two illiterate peasants with just a bottle of vodka and a screwdriver.

And when both arrive they drop off a few grunts

Now how much was the US Deficit and how much do the spend on defence?

[SASless]

The Osprey is a genuine bargain.....when compared to the ammunition for the Navy's new ships.

Even the DOD finally realized 800,000 USD per Round was a trifle expensive should a real live shooting war ever cranked up!

You cannot make this stuff up!


https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a23738/uss-zumwalt-ammo-too-expensive/

[West Coast]

I look at the Osprey as an example of why the west is doomed!

The Russian fly Mil-8s and they cost (and pulls numbers out of his bum!) 1/10th as much to buy and 1/20 to fly as an Osprey. Can lift more (fair enough they don't go as fast) and be maintained by two illiterate peasants with just a bottle of vodka and a screwdriver.

And when both arrive they drop off a few grunts

Now how much was the US Deficit and how much do the spend on defence?

Yup, look past the significant speed advantage, the significant range advantage, the payload advantage, the ability to self deploy, the ability for sustained shipboard operations, etc and you nailed it.

[typerated]

Yup, look past the significant speed advantage, the significant range advantage, the payload advantage, the ability to self deploy, the ability for sustained shipboard operations, etc and you nailed it.



All true - but very very expensive.

1) We don't have a lot of money at the end of the defence budget after all the fancy toys have been bought, so can only afford a few grunts
2) As we have so few we have to make sure we can deploy them where needed ASAP
3) It cost a lot to have a fancy flying 3 ton truck to deploy them
4) Return to 1

[The Sultan]

Type

V-22 is cheaper than the 53K and S-92 related Cyclone. It’s cost are on par or cheaper than equally sophisticated single seat fighters.

[Harley Quinn]

Type

V-22 is cheaper than the 53K and S-92 related Cyclone. It’s cost are on par or cheaper than equally sophisticated single seat fighters.

It may be cheaper than a single seat fighter but it can't do what a single seat fighter can do so that's a non-comparison

[West Coast]

All true - but very very expensive.

1) We don't have a lot of money at the end of the defence budget after all the fancy toys have been bought, so can only afford a few grunts
2) As we have so few we have to make sure we can deploy them where needed ASAP
3) It cost a lot to have a fancy flying 3 ton truck to deploy them
4) Return to 1

If price was the driver then we should pull all the aircraft out of the boneyard and put them back to work. No matter the obsolescence, no matter the factor newer equipment has in giving the warfighter the best chance of completing the mission and returning safely.

It's just silly to think there a genuine comparison here and base that comparison on price.

[typerated]

I think you (and the rest of US mil) often get the wrong end of the stick.

It's all about the money.

Just look at recent US military, shall we say lack of successes in the Middle East.
On a national level the cost is not about causalities but $'s .
And you could make no progress against such an unsophisticated enemy with all these weapons
Perhaps the latest advance will give you the edge? Stealthy refueling tankers, or some fancy drone might just be it?

Osprey is an amazing engineering system but I think a poor weapon of war

[SASless]

you could make no progress against such an unsophisticated enemy with all these weapons

You suppose politics and strategy were more to blame for that than the weapons?

[West Coast]

I think you (and the rest of US mil) often get the wrong end of the stick.

It's all about the money.

Just look at recent US military, shall we say lack of successes in the Middle East.
On a national level the cost is not about causalities but $'s .
And you could make no progress against such an unsophisticated enemy with all these weapons
Perhaps the latest advance will give you the edge? Stealthy refueling tankers, or some fancy drone might just be it?

Osprey is an amazing engineering system but I think a poor weapon of war

Perhaps,in your mind it’s all about the money, the reality is it’s about mission completion and giving the warfighter the best opportunity to make it home.

Don’t confuse achieving geo political-military goals with the effectiveness of a platform, that’s a non sequitor. To say the Osprey is a poor weapon of war requires an analysis of the machine as its employed, not a thread drift into politics. To that end, three of the branches of the US military use or soon will use the Osprey for a variety of missions ranging from delivering rubber dog**** to the fleet (Navy) to troop transport (USMC) to special operations (USAF). It’s a versatile tool with improving reliability and has evolved into a splendid weapon of war.

Using specifics, define why you believe otherwise.