https://sputnikglobe.com/20240308/v-22-osprey-returns-to-the-skies-while-cause-of-deadly-crash-still-unknown-1117213233.html
V-22 Osprey Returns to the Skies While Cause of Deadly Crash Still Unknown
V-22 Osprey Returns to the Skies While Cause of Deadly Crash Still Unknown
Sputnik International
The complex US aircraft suffered a pair of deadly crashes last year in the Pacific region, where the United States is expanding its military presence with an eye towards China.
2024-03-08T23:19+0000
2024-03-08T23:19+0000
2024-03-08T23:19+0000
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A temporary flight ban on the controversial V-22 Osprey aircraft has been lifted by the US military as investigators still work to nail down the cause of last year’s deadly crashes.Taylor refused to elaborate further, citing security concerns relating to the plane’s unique design.All Osprey aircraft were grounded by the US Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps in November after a deadly crash off the coast of Japan claimed the lives of eight service members. The incident was the plane’s second mishap in 2023 following another crash in Australia that killed three. The Osprey also suffered a pair of deadly accidents the year before, one of which has been blamed on a problem with the aircraft’s clutch.The plane has claimed the lives of more than 50 US service members altogether in various crashes since its initial deployment in 2007.The Osprey’s convoluted design allows it to take off vertically like a helicopter and then rotate its wings to fly at the speed of a prop plane. The difficulty of operating the aircraft has led to a series of accidents attributed to pilot error.But observers have long blamed material failure as well, with the plane being grounded several times as investigators examine its components. Witnesses of November’s fatal crash say one of the Osprey’s engines caught fire before the aircraft plummeted into the ocean.Air Force Special Operations Command Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, who oversaw the eight airmen killed in November’s accident, believes the event was caused by material failure. He hopes revamped training and maintenance protocols can prevent a similar incident in the future. But Bauernfeind notes the Osprey’s hardware will see no changes before returning to service.The V-22 Osprey is prized within the US armed forces for its ability to ferry troops and supplies to locations lacking traditional runways, such as remote islands in the Pacific. The United States is pursuing a renewed focus on the region amidst concerns over the economic rise of Russia and China.The US Army announced a major restructuring last week to prepare the force for “large-scale combat” in the Pacific region. The US also sold a $75 million weapons package to authorities in Taiwan recently allowing the island’s armed forces to more easily integrate with weapons systems in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.The US has long worked to pursue cooperation among these and other countries in the Pacific to prepare for potential conflict with China. 2023’s two Osprey accidents share the commonality of both taking place in that region, where the United States’ military buildup has caused consternation for Beijing.“The Osprey aircraft involved in this accident has experienced multiple severe accidents, leaving many injured, dead or missing,” Wang added. “The US needs to take a serious and responsible attitude, take seriously the concerns of the local people, have a thorough investigation into the accident, give a reasonable explanation to relevant parties, and restore peace and tranquility in the region.”China has not been involved in a major military conflict since the short-lived Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979.Japanese officials expressed concern over the continued operation of the V-22 Osprey aircraft last year, sounding the alarm “about the fact that the Osprey has been flying without sufficient explanation of flight safety confirmation, despite repeated requests by the Government of Japan,” per the country’s defense minister Minoru Kihara.Meanwhile, China has unveiled its own version of the V-22 Osprey’s tilt rotorcraft design. Chinese officials claim their take on the technology addresses various efficiency and ease-of-use issues of the Osprey. The Chinese aircraft features a four-propeller design, reportedly allowing it to continue to operate even in the event that one of its rotors fails.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231209/why-pentagon-has-trouble-taming-its-wild-v-22-osprey-1115501445.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231204/hundreds-protest-osprey-flights-as-us-refuses-japans-request-to-ground-crash-prone-aircraft-1115380703.html
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V-22 Osprey Returns to the Skies While Cause of Deadly Crash Still Unknown
The complex US aircraft suffered a pair of deadly crashes last year in the Pacific region, where the United States is expanding its military presence with an eye towards China.
A temporary flight ban on the controversial V-22 Osprey aircraft has been lifted by the US military as investigators still work to nail down the cause of last year’s deadly crashes.
“We have high confidence that we understand what component failed and how it failed,” said Col. Brian Taylor of the US Marine Corps, one of three US service branches that operates the complex tilt rotorcraft. “I think what we are still working on is the why, and so that is still in the hands of the investigation.”
Taylor refused to elaborate further, citing security concerns relating to the plane’s unique design.
All Osprey aircraft were grounded by the US Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps in November after a deadly crash off the coast of Japan claimed the lives of eight service members. The incident was the plane’s second mishap in 2023 following another crash in Australia that killed three. The Osprey also suffered a pair of deadly accidents the year before, one of which has been blamed on a problem with the aircraft’s clutch.
9 December 2023, 17:41 GMT
The plane has claimed the lives of more than 50 US service members altogether in various crashes since its initial deployment in 2007.
The Osprey’s convoluted design allows it to take off vertically like a helicopter and then rotate its wings to fly at the speed of a prop plane. The difficulty of operating the aircraft has led to a series of accidents attributed to pilot error.
But observers have long blamed material failure as well, with the plane being grounded several times as investigators examine its components. Witnesses of November’s fatal crash say one of the Osprey’s engines caught fire before the aircraft plummeted into the ocean.
Air Force Special Operations Command Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, who oversaw the eight airmen killed in November’s accident, believes the event was caused by material failure. He hopes revamped training and maintenance protocols can prevent a similar incident in the future. But Bauernfeind notes the Osprey’s hardware will see no changes before returning to service.
4 December 2023, 20:00 GMT
The V-22 Osprey is prized within the US armed forces for its ability to ferry troops and supplies to locations lacking traditional runways, such as remote islands in the Pacific. The United States is pursuing a renewed focus on the region amidst concerns over the economic rise of Russia and China.
The US Army
announced a major restructuring last week to prepare the force for “large-scale combat” in the Pacific region. The US also sold
a $75 million weapons package to authorities in Taiwan recently allowing the island’s armed forces to more easily integrate with weapons systems in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
The US has long worked to pursue cooperation among these and other countries in the Pacific to prepare for potential conflict with China. 2023’s two Osprey accidents share the commonality of both taking place in that region, where the United States’ military buildup has caused consternation for Beijing.
"The US military, while professing that it safeguards the region's peace and stability, has behaved unscrupulously under the protection of extraterritoriality,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin last year when asked about the Osprey crash in Japan. “While professing it protects the security of allies, the US has become a source of insecurity for its allies.”
“The Osprey aircraft involved in this accident has experienced multiple severe accidents, leaving many injured, dead or missing,” Wang added. “The US needs to take a serious and responsible attitude, take seriously the concerns of the local people, have a thorough investigation into the accident, give a reasonable explanation to relevant parties, and restore peace and tranquility in the region.”
China has not been involved in a major military conflict since the short-lived Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979.
The United States’ longtime military presence of 54,000 troops in neighboring Japan has been opposed by many locals of the island nation. US service members in Okinawa, which hosts most of the soldiers, have been implicated in over 6,000 criminal acts there, including rape and sexual assault.
Japanese officials expressed
concern over the continued operation of the V-22 Osprey aircraft last year, sounding the alarm “about the fact that the Osprey has been flying without sufficient explanation of flight safety confirmation, despite repeated requests by the Government of Japan,” per the country’s defense minister Minoru Kihara.
“We have concerns about what is going on,” said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno in December.
Meanwhile, China has unveiled
its own version of the V-22 Osprey’s tilt rotorcraft design. Chinese officials claim their take on the technology addresses various efficiency and ease-of-use issues of the Osprey. The Chinese aircraft features a four-propeller design, reportedly allowing it to continue to operate even in the event that one of its rotors fails.
