U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 programme of record reaches milestone

Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, and Boeing celebrate the achievement of the MV-22 Programme of Record (POR) for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Bell and Boeing commemorated the V-22 Osprey production milestone during a ceremony at the Bell Amarillo Assembly Center on July 28.

"This milestone reflects the extraordinary dedication of the teams who design, build, and support the V-22," said Eldon Metzger, V-22 program director, Bell. "For the Marine Corps, this isn't an end, it's a transition to the next chapter. The V-22 remains essential to the future fight, and we are committed to delivering sustainment, readiness, and modernization that ensure this aircraft continues to outperform evolving mission requirements."

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is the first tiltrotor aircraft introduced into military service and has successfully provided speed, range, and terrain agnostic capabilities unlike any other aircraft. The USMC operates the largest V-22 fleet with 359 MV-22 aircraft produced and delivered to the Service.

"Completing the MV-22 Programme of Record is a significant milestone," said Col. Robert Hurst, V-22 Joint Program Office Program Manager. "The V-22 Osprey sets the United States apart from every other military on the planet with the operational employment of tilt-rotor technology. With our Bell Boeing and Joint Program Office team, the delivery of the MV-22 has extended the reach and lethality of the United States Marine Air-Ground Task Force for 20 years, and it will continue to be a game-changer on the battlespace. We remain focused on efforts to enhance fleet readiness, capability, and modernization of the MV-22 Osprey, the backbone of the Marine Corps for decades to come."

The USMC variant of the Osprey (MV-22) is designed specifically for missions leveraging the speed and range advantages where traditional helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft would be less effective. Some high-profile MV-22 Osprey missions include:

– Venezuela Earthquake Response and Mobilization (June 24 to present): USMC MV-22 Ospreys are providing vital transport support for U.S. and partner nation search and rescue teams.

– Operation Inherent Resolve (2014-2026): MV-22s have been used extensively in Iraq and Syria for troop transport, resupply, and casualty evacuation missions in support of anti-ISIS operations.

– Operation Unified Response to Haiti Earthquake (2022): MV-22 Ospreys played a critical role in the humanitarian relief effort flying 5,300 nautical miles, delivering more than 230,000 pounds of food and transporting 320 aid workers.

– Rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips (2009): During the Maersk Alabama hijacking by Somali pirates, MV-22s supported the rescue operation, providing rapid transport for special operations forces.

"Accomplishing the programme of record reflects the hard work of the entire MV-22 team, engineers, technicians, and our supplier partners, who continue to deliver a capability that helps the USMC operate with speed, range, and flexibility," said Danielle Hoelzer, V-22 program director, Boeing. "The MV-22's proven and continued performance is a testament to the partnership between Bell and Boeing, and we remain committed to keeping the fleet mission-ready well into the future."

With the achievement of the MV-22 POR milestone, Team Osprey, the group of industry partners consisting of more than 500 US-based suppliers and 27,000 employees from across 44 states, is now focused on fleet wide sustainment and upgrades to meet the USMC's expectation of having the MV-22 Osprey fleet flying until 2055. Bell and Boeing continue to build new CMV-22 variants for the U.S Navy and support the Nacelle Improvement modernisation programme for the U.S. Air Force CV-22 fleet.