Case: we put composited fairings on the lower fuselage of the C17 and wonder why we have high rate of mechanical casualties operating in the Afghan theatre. Don’t these procurement strategist ever get out of the D ring?

Or, are we expecting the new and expensive crop of ac to do more then is reasonable?

Maybe some of all the above. It’s still being flown all over Iraq loaded up on low density alt conditions.

I’ll reserve critical opinion til I see OFFICIAL readiness reports.

The answer is that after four years V-22s are so broke down they must be retired. That is why half of the 156 V-22s the Corps has purchased are not in service.

The only people who say positive things about the V-22 are corporate spokesmen or Marines whose career is tied to the V-22. You never hear any Marine gripe about the V-22 to the media, because he will get hit with NJP for disobeying an order and sent to a remote Iraqi outpost the next day.

We got an aircraft that is the size of a H-53 with the lift capability of a H-60 and has less range then a H-47. Oh, and it can’t operate in thin mountain air.

No 300mph. No 24 Marine capability. For the low, low price of $100,000,000 dollars each. We could buy one each of the above with that money. And they can fly in Afghanistan. They’re doing it right now.

As for the guys who fix it and fly it? They’d deploy with M1 Garands and H-34s if that’s all they had. It’s up to us to give them the best and to hold the mil-ind. complex responsible for their errors. This is one of those errors.

I read the comments and wonder why the negativity? I’ve seen the testimony from the guys that fly the thing and they say its good to go. Has any of the critics flown the airplane? Performed maintenance on it? Or are these knee jerk reactions and a case of taking popular positions?

When you’re trapped in a burning osprey on Afghanistan’s plains,
because in flight the V-22 failed to remain,
jus’ roll to your M4 an’ blow out your brains,
An’ go to your gawd like a soldier.

I’d like to see Bell-Boeing take 24 combat loaded superfans to an Afghan-like LZ in an osprey to show us how safe this bird is. Any takers?

Gee this thing is so great debate is pointless if it is sitting in a hangar at Cherry Point, NC.

Unless we are making North Carolina the main front for the war against AQ. Are we?

The craft works or it doesn’t. (Period) Logistics and Sustainment issues can be dealt with, an airframe that just isn’t up to the task can’t. WHICH IS IT? Surely someone can illuminate me.

Bottom line The Osprey was not ready for the AFGHAN front , especially when it is hot. The most expensive war machine in US history was left at Cherry Point NC. That is the Reality

How could they not project how parts would behave in Iraq? We wear the crap out of our hardware in the Southwest US all the damn time. If they bothered to fly the plane at 29 Palms in the summer for a few weeks and they should have had a pretty good idea.