Marines Eying Osprey Replacement
Originally planned to fly into the
2060s, the embattled tiltrotor could face a limited future.
Updated Feb 5, 2025 5:18 AM EST
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Online military website The War
Zone reported
today that the U.S. Marines are exploring possible successors
to the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The program is advanced enough to have an
acronym—the Next Generation Assault Support (NGAS) initiative. Originally
planned to continue in service into the 2060s, the troubled Osprey program has
faced growing scrutiny, including a three-month grounding last year after a
fatal crash.
The previously undisclosed Marine
NGAS program is noteworthy, given the continued support and reassurance for the
V-22 fleet, now 348 strong. The Marines have pushed back on questions about the
Osprey’s future, adding as part of the service’s 2025 Aviation Plan,
“Configuration, inventory, and supply chain management remain the top areas of
focus as the MV-22B Osprey fleet right-sizes to meet future requirements and
challenges.”
Marine Col. Brian Taylor, as leader
the V-22 Joint Program Office, said in April 2024. “There is a ton of life left
in this platform, and there is a ton of mission left in this platform. But if
there’s a better thing that we need to pivot to that’s really kind of up to the
services.”
He specifically cited the High-Speed
Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL) program, which explores future VTOL
concepts with advanced speed and range capability. That initiative combines
with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Speed and Runway
Independent Technologies (SPRINT) program. According to The War Zone,
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing subsidiary, and Bell are currently
developing demonstrator designs for SPRINT.
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