Groupthink gives V-22 a bad rap
The tiltrotor’s safety record is on par with other Pentagon rotorcraft—none of which can match its capability and performance.
STEVE BUSBY | FEBRUARY 25, 2024
The V-22 has long gotten a bad rap. As soon as reports of a fatal accident involving an Osprey off the coast of Japan hit the internet last fall, the critics pounced, and a chorus of uninformed skeptics began posting and commenting, all asking: “Why is the Osprey still flying?”
Supporters of the V-22 are quick to point out that the data tells a completely different story. In fact, the Osprey is a modern marvel in terms of performance and capability, and its operational safety record is on a par with the most widely used conventional rotorcraft flying in the Department of Defense today.
Like all first-generation cutting-edge technologies, the introduction of the world’s first tiltrotor aircraft was a learning experience for everyone involved. During initial development, the program suffered several tragic accidents including the loss of 19 Marines during an operational test flight in 2000. That accident, more than any other single occurrence, damaged the reputation of the program. And, in the decades since then, the V-22 has been subjected to an overwhelmingly negative
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2024/02/groupthink-gives-v-22-bad-rap/394420/
