Crs Report for Congress: V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft January 7, 2005 - Rl31384

ISBN-10: 1295025655
ISBN-13: 9781295025657
Series: Crs Report for Congress
Pages: 24
Language: English
Published: 2013-10
Publisher: BiblioGov
Author: Congressional Research Service: The Libr

Description

The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and flies like a plane by tilting its wing-mounted rotors to function as propellers. Combining a helicopter's operational flexibility with the greater speed, range, and efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft, the V-22 can perform such missions as troop/cargo transport, amphibious assault, special operations, and search and rescue operations. Begun in FY1982 by the Army and now funded in part by the Air Force, the V-22 has been primarily a Marine Corps program funded by the Navy Department. The aircraft is produced by Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing Helicopters, with engines produced by Rolls-Royce/Allison. Flight testing and operational evaluation of pre-production V-22s began in early 1997, with procurement of production aircraft approved in April 1997. The future of the aircraft was at issue in 1989-92, when Secretary of Defense Cheney sought to cancel the program on grounds of affordability. Congress continued to fund the program, however, providing $16.4 billion through FY2004. As of June 30, 2004, the Defense Department estimated the program's total cost to be about $48 billion to develop and produce 458 aircraft. The Administration's FY2002 defense budget requested $3,278.3 million for the V-22 ...