THE BRIEF LIFE CYCLE OF THE V22 OSPREY PROGRAM

Sherlyne Thomas
Program and Acquisition Management, DEFM 540 Professor: David E. Patton

The V-22 Osprey is a tilt rotor military aircraft developed by Bell Helicopter and Boeing Aircraft. Build with the abilities to take off and land vertically along with short takeoff and landing capabilities, this sophisticated aircraft was developed for use by all of the Department of Defense armed forces in support of the nation’s national defense. The concept and eventual need of the V22 began during a mission in the 1980s when the military identified a need for an aircraft that would perform certain capabilities. A request for proposal (RFP) was soon sent out for the preliminary designs with the push for contractors to form joint efforts to create this requirement which resulted in Bell Helicopters and Boeing collaborating to present a successful bid for the contract. Boeing manages the empennage, digital avionics, subsystems, fuselage, and fly-by-wire flight-control schemes. Bell Helicopter manages the wing, transmissions, engine installation, and conducting the final product assemblies.
Life Cycle of the V22
Under the pre-acquisition period, the first phase of life cycle of an acquisition is the Materiel Solution Analysis phase where the support needs of the military are assessed. The preliminary acquisition strategy of the procurement combined the operational requirements and risk conditions from all the military branches: U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and Navy. “It has long been a dream … to create an airplane that not only can fly long ranges at high speeds and carry heavy cargo, but can also take off, hover and land like a helicopter. Such a plane would have the flexibility to handle many different types of military missions and would also have civilian and commercial uses.” (Craig Freudenrich).
The technology development of the V22 phase began in 1981and the development stage in 1986 led by The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. In 1986 the awardee of the procurement, Bell Boeing, was awarded the $1.7 billion contract for the V-22 production by the U.S. Navy. What used to be named under the JVX program, the V-22 configurations depend its use: search-and-rescue or long-range special operations, or various military missions.
In the engineering and manufacturing development stage of the V22 occurred during the years of 1989 and 1992, many prototypes were unsuccessful due to wiring or flight control issues. “Thought early developments design flaws plagued the Osprey’s airframe, the Marines remained unconditionally committed to it for replacement of its Vietnam-era CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter fleet, of which many aircraft were older than the pilots flying them. The Air Force also was interested in the Osprey as a replacement for its special operations support aircraft.” (Holahan, 2011). Testing for the prototypes finally gave way to approval by the Navy and full production began.
Under the Production & Deployment phase, issues are revealed so improvements can be worked out. In 2000, the V22 had a total of four crashes and just as many fatalities during its test program. Although different problems have arose through flight testing, military officials are still confident in the production of this airframe and have pushed forward in efforts to work out all issues with its assembly. Like with any new technologies, the manufacturers continuously look for ways to enhance and improve the V22 system. “The US military, notably the Marines and the Air Force, are keen on the Osprey as it offers many improvements over current helicopters.” (Pope, 2003). The V22 offer so much potential, particularly with its tilt-rotor capabilities and possessing the operational flexibilities of helicopters.
The Bell-Boeing V22 Osprey has many capabilities to include: * can transport 24 combat troops, 20,000 pounds of internal or up to 15,000 pounds of external cargo using its medium lift and vertical takeoff and landing capabilities * meets U.S. Navy requirements for combat search and rescue, fleet logistics support, and special warfare support * matches the U.S. Special Operations Command's requirement for a high-speed, long-range, vertical lift aircraft * can be stored aboard an aircraft carrier or assault ship because the rotors can fold and the wings rotate * has air-to-air refueling capability, the cornerstone of the ability to self-deploy
("V-22 osprey," )
The Operations and Support (O&S) stage of the V22 Program there were many technical elements that needed to be addressed concerning the functionality of this new aircraft. During the course of the V22 production “the new tilt-rotor design and challenging military requirements demanded numerous compromises to save weight and increase speed as well as survivability in combat environments. A series of crashes and the tragic loss of lives as the program rushed to meet military timelines caused a redesign of critical components.” (Braganca, 2012). The users put a lot of pressure on the design and production teams for the V22 to meet the requirements in a timely fashion for field use. In 2001 key improvements we developed that corrected a lot of the safety issues. The V22 was immediately put to use to deployed locations and high profile missions to include the Bin Laden raid. “To have a new aircraft with a radically new design sustain a 10-year safety record better than other aircraft that are much better understood is exceptional.” (2012). One of the recent concerns identified with the V22 is with its engine and hydraulic fluid leaks. Unlike other aircrafts, this poses a specialized problem for this jet because of the tilting actions of its engines and rotor systems for flight and take-offs. However, with the help of manufacturing engineers, new parts were developed to prevent and detect the occurrence of leaks.

Program Costs & Conclusion
Such an amazing invention comes with a hefty price tag from its early production to its upkeep and maintenance. The costs to the Department of Defense for the V22 program have certainly been vast. Due to the financial climate of the U.S. government this program has caused Congress and the public to take closer notice at this program and its cost. With a price of almost $100 million dollar per V22 aircraft, this program has “Each new Marine MV-22 costs approximately $74 million. The Air Force’s CV-22 variant costs more—approximately $84 million each—because it has added avionics such as a terrain-following radar and advanced defensive systems to protect it against radar and infrared missiles.” (Braganca, 2012). It has been reported that the fiscal 2013 budget proposal, the Pentagon cut the number of V22 purchases, shifting some of the aircrafts to later in the production plan. There is also a plan reduce the cost of the Bell Helicopter and Boeing manufactured items to broaden the procurements to other original equipment manufacturers.
The Defense Logistics Aviation of Richmond, the company I work for, supports more than "1,800 major weapon systems and is the U.S. military’s integrated materiel manager for more than 1.1 million repair parts and operating supply items in support of all fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft, including spares for engines on fighters, bombers, transports and helicopters; all airframe and landing gear parts; flight safety equipment; and propeller systems.” ("Defense logistics agency," 2012). This aircraft has an influence in my life because I am an acquisition specialist for the Sikorsky and Bell Helicopter team, I have personal experience in purchasing V22 supply items from Bell/Boeing team in supporting the airframe systems for this aircraft. Through researching and writing this paper, I was able find out many different aspects of this advanced system and my small part in supporting it. The process of building the V22 aircraft has gone through many different stages and unfortunately its system failures have been at the expense of human life. However, I found that this is a critical system in supporting our nation’s national security. The benefits have certainly outweighed the cost put into its production. I am looking forward in looking at the future developments of the V22 and learning about the many ways it will expand our military’s reach.

Reference
Braganca, E. (2012). The V-22 Osprey: From Troubled past to viable and flexible option. JFQ: Joint Force Quarterly, (66), 80-84.
Craig Freudenrich, P. D. (n.d.). http://science.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved from http://science.howstuffworks.com/osprey.htm
Defense logistics agency aviation. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.aviation.dla.mil/
Holahan, W. (2011). UNDAUNTED FLIGHT: The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey. Officer, 87(1), 92.
Pope, C. (2003). Navy shows faith in Osprey. Professional Engineering, 16(12), 22.
V-22 osprey. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/v22/index.htm
The Navy Department Library. (2005, November 02). V-22 osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Retrieved from http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/v-22 osprey.htm