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US Pentagon-Compiled Panel Says Osprey Not Ready for Use
A panel compiled by the US Defense Department recommended Wednesday that the Marine Corps' V- 22 Osprey program proceed but found the accident-prone aircraft is "not close to" being ready for use.
The Pentagon should use a "phased approach" to returning the Osprey to flight after fixing mechanical failures, the four-member panel said.
The panel plans to submit its recommendation to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld by next Tuesday, and then to the Senate and House Armed Services committees.
The Osprey was grounded after four crashes, including two that killed 23 airmen within the past year and a half. The aircraft has the ability to take off and land like a helicopter, yet fly like an airplane.
The panel found that the Osprey is the best alternative to replace an aging helicopter fleet, but members said that it requires additional testing and engineering changes to fix system problems.
Problems cited range from a software glitch in the aircraft's computer system to a tendency for a hydraulic line to rupture.
The panel considered whether to cancel the Osprey program and start from scratch, but decided the option would be too expensive.
The total budget for Osprey is 12 billion U.S. dollars so far, with an additional 29 billion dollars planned. Only about eight Osprey have been built so far, with 458 planned.
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