V-22 Osprey

The V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities. It was developed by Bell and Boeing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but it did not enter service until 2007. The Osprey was developed primarily to meet the needs of the US Marine Corps (USMC) for transport helicopter roles, but with the ability to reach the speed of fixed-wing aircraft. The Osprey is capable of that thanks to a pair of Rolls-Royce turboshaft engines rated at 4,590 kW (each). This allows the V-22 to reach a top speed of 565 km/h, comparable to, for example, the C-295M CASA. In its cargo hold, the Osprey can carry up to 32 people, 9,000 kg of material or a lightweight Growler vehicle.

The Osprey is produced in several variants, with the MV-22B being the most common variant used by the Marine Corps. Moreover, the Osprey is also widely used by the US Air Force to transport special forces under the designation CV-22B. In total, more than 400 units have been produced in all variants. It has been deployed, for example, in Afghanistan or during the crisis in South Sudan.

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