Providence-based Textron Inc. must improve the quality
and spare-parts management of its V-22 Osprey before the Pentagon
approves the aircraft for full production, a multibillion-dollar
step, an independent review of the military program found.
“The risk is too high today for me to stand in front of my
boss and say ‘Go for it, thumbs up,”’ said Air Force Colonel Craig
Olson, the program manager, whose office commissioned the
assessment last month by aviation and logistics experts.
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The program until recently had focused mostly on fixing flight
and software systems that contributed to two crashes in 2000 that
killed 23 Marines and temporarily halted the program. Although the
latest assessment praised production improvements, more work is
needed before program officials tell senior Pentagon leaders it can
start full production in November 2005, Olson said.
Textron’s Bell Helicopter unit and Boeing Co., which jointly
make the Osprey and evenly split program revenue, are preparing the
aircraft for four months of realistic combat testing starting in
January 2005. The General Accounting Office last month praised the
companies for making improvement in reducing the amount of repeat
work needed to complete aircraft.
Still, spare parts and overall quality issues must be improved
before Pentagon officials of the Defense Acquisition Board approve
full production, Olson and Boeing-Bell Program manager Mike Tkach
said. Bell recognizes the challenge, Tkach said.
The V-22 is a fixed-wing plane with rotors that tilt so the
aircraft can take off and land like a helicopter. The military sees
the aircraft as potentially useful for long-range Marine Corps and
commando missions.
The Osprey has completed 1,700 hours of flight testing,
including those flown by a specialized Marine Corps training
squadron. The Pentagon’s top tester, Thomas Christie, has praised
the corrections made to date and says the military has a good
understanding of what caused the crashes in 2000 and how to prevent
similar problems in the future.
A full-production decision would trigger spending most of $39
billion to buy as many as 456 aircraft in the $48.2 billion
program. Almost $15 billion has been spent so far. Each aircraft is
estimated to cost $105 million when adjusted for inflation.
Boeing and Textron would produce 152 aircraft through 2009.
The budget includes 11 aircraft in fiscal 2005, 17 in fiscal 2006,
26 in fiscal 2007, 39 in fiscal 2008 and 48 in fiscal 2009.
Bloomberg News
