AFSOC Has ‘Complete Confidence’ in V-22 Osprey Despite Upgrade Delays
Sept. 24, 2025 | By Chris Gordon
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—The head of Air Force Special Operations Command said he has “complete confidence” in the safety of the CV-22 Osprey despite a delayed upgrade to the tiltrotor aircraft’s gearbox following a fatal November 2023 crash that temporarily grounded the fleet.
“I have complete confidence in the aircraft, and I have even more confidence in the crews and maintainers that operate and fix them, so I don’t lose a minute of sleep over that,” Lt. Gen. Michael E. Conley told reporters Sept. 24 at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
The V-22, variants of which are operated by the Air Force, Marines, and Navy, has had four fatal crashes that have killed 20 service members since 2022. That has prompted congressional scrutiny as well as lawsuits against the contractors who produce the aircraft. Sixty-five people, military and civilian, have been killed in Osprey crashes over the life of the program.
To fix the aircraft’s issues, the military plans to install new sensors to monitor for failures, improve the quality of steel used in parts of the gearbox, and field a redesigned input quill assembly, an element of the proprotor gearbox that houses the aircraft clutch. The services have also implemented more rigorous training and maintenance for the Osprey.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-complete-confidence-osprey-upgrade-delays/
