Two new CV-22B Ospreys for USAF
On 19 March 2021, the US Department of Defense (US DoD) officially reported that the Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo (TX) has been awarded a USD 182 million modification on a previous awarded contract for the production and delivery of two Fiscal Year 2021 CV-22B Ospreys for the USAF.
The USAF operates the CV-22B since March 2006, when the first Ospreys were delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing (58th SOW) at Kirtland Air Force Base (NM). This unit is dedicated in training personnel for special operations duties. On 16 November 2006, the USAF officially accepted the Osprey in a ceremony at Hurlburt Field (FL).
According to our database, the USAF currently operates 51 CV-22Bs with five squadrons. From the originally 53 Ospreys delivered, two were lost in accidents.
Next to these CV-22Bs, the Air Force received two early models V-22A Ospreys and one early model MV-22B from the USMC for testing with the 418th FLTS at Edwards AFB (CA). The MV-22B was rebuilt to CV-22B and modified with long-range fuel tanks and Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) for low-altitude penetration and a dual digital map for situational awareness. Nowadays this aircraft is preserved at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB (OH). The two early model V-22As were scrapped in 2008.
The current units with the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and the Air Education & Training Command (AETC) operating the CV-22B Osprey are:
Photo: Swingwing (Scramble Archive)