Bell Boeing V-22 OSPREY – The Answer or the Question ? - is the American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing and short takeoff and landing capability.     It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long range, high speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.     The team of Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters were awarded a development contract in 1983 and the V-22 OSPREY first flew in 1989, with the United States Marine Corps beginning crew training in 2000, and fielded the first unit in 2007.    

The V-22 OSPREY is powered by Rolls-Royce engines – the T406 (designation AE 1107C) which is a turboshaft engine which delivers 6,000 shp (4,470 kW).  In April 2012, the US Department of Defence ordered 70 AE 1107C engines for the OSPREY with options for up to 268 engines, and has now signed a support contract for the engines with Rolls-Royce.      The Fleet Air Arm will need AEW (airborne early warning) and COD (carrier onboard delivery) aircraft to support the new Aircraft Carriers and the V-22 OSPREY has been considered for this and an immediate “of the shelf” purchase of say at least 28 airframes - half (?) the cost coming back by way of Rolls-Royce - would seem to meet our urgent requirements, and be a cost effective answer to many questions about or Carrier Strike capability.

In USMC service the OSPREY is supplementing and will eventually replace the CH-46 SEA KNIGHT by 2019.    The other V-22 OSPREY operator, the U.S. Air Force, which fielded the version in 2009, and since entering service the airframe has been deployed in both combat and rescue operations over Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.     In September 2005, the Pentagon formally approved full rate production for the V-22 OSPREY with the  plan to produce between 24 and 48 a year by 2012, and of the 458 total planned, 360 are for the U.S. Marine Corps, 48 for the US Navy, and 50 for the US Air Force at an average cost of US$ 110 million per aircraft (including development costs)    The OSPREY had an incremental flyaway cost of US$ 67 million per aircraft in 2008, but it is hoped to shave about US$ 10 million off that cost after a five year production contract in 2013.

In July 2007 an MV-22 OSPREY landed aboard the Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS in the Atlantic Ocean and was the first time that any V-22 had landed on any non U.S. vessel.    The USMC have found that the V-22 OSPREY's speed and range make it a good operational match for fast jets and in Afghanistan some 100,000 flight hours +  were completed and the V-22 was reported as being (become) "the safest airplane, or close to the safest airplane” in the Marine Corps inventory.   The USMC further claim that the cost of a flight hour had fallen from US$ 12,000 to US$ 8,300 in January 2012, averaging US$ 10,000, with the required mission capable rate set 82%, but the average for the period 2007-2010 was 53%.

Imagine for a moment that the Air Group of the QUEEN ELIZABETH in 2018 could comprise:

Squadron (8 machines) APACHE Gunships (taken from the redundant Army Air Corps machines

  in a post Afghan world)

Squadron (4 machines) OSPREY AEW (off the shelf purchase of airframes with the CROWSNEST

                                                        radars fitted)

Squadron (4 machines) OSPREY SAR/COD (off the shelf purchase of airframes)

Squadron (8 machines) MERLIN HM.2 (Anti-Submarine)

Squadron (8 machines) MERLIN HM.3 (Commando/Special Forces)

The is 32 machines, and that is before you add the LIGHTNING which realistically cannot be in Squadron service by 2022 ?   It is a possible.   Imagine if we had the courage to do this ?