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Aircraft · Air

CV-22 Osprey

Bell Boeing tiltrotor for special-operations infiltration, exfiltration and resupply.

by Boeing · First fielded 2009

FieldedAircraftAirInitial operating capability2009
af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104531/cv-22-osprey
A CV-22 Osprey flying past rocky canyon walls

Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Markus Maier · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Air Force) · Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop.

Milestones19982009
  1. MilestoneCV-22 executive critical design review completed, confirmed
  2. MilestoneEarliest documented public appearance: Boeing public announcement, confirmed
  3. MilestoneFirst test CV-22 unveiled at Fort Worth, reported
  4. First deliveryFirst operational CV-22 delivered to AFSOC, confirmed
  5. Initial operating capabilityCV-22 initial operational capability, confirmed

Timeline5

  1. MilestoneConfirmed

    CV-22 executive critical design review completed

    Boeing’s December 18 release says the review completed that week. Month precision avoids inventing the day of the review. This is a documented named public reference before the 2000 test-aircraft rollout; it is not established as the original CV-22 unveiling.

    SourcesBoeing

  2. MilestoneConfirmed

    Earliest documented public appearance: Boeing public announcement

    Earliest supported public appearance found in the sources reviewed for this research; not a claim of the first-ever announcement or original unveiling. Earlier evidence may revise this date. Date of Boeing’s named CV-22 design-review press release, not the exact day the review occurred.

    SourcesBoeing

  3. MilestoneReported

    First test CV-22 unveiled at Fort Worth

    Contemporary Air Force news, preserved in a mailing-list republication, describes the first test and operational CV-22 rollout. This is distinct from the 2006 combat-configured delivery and does not establish the earliest public announcement of the CV-22 designation.

    SourcesAir Force Print News / AFSOC News Service (archived republication)

  4. First deliveryConfirmed

    First operational CV-22 delivered to AFSOC

    Operational-command delivery; test and training aircraft had been delivered earlier.

    SourcesCV-22 Osprey > Air Force > Fact Sheet Display

  5. Initial operating capabilityConfirmed

    CV-22 initial operational capability

    SourcesCV-22 Osprey > Air Force > Fact Sheet Display

Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

Built with1

Operators1

  • USUnited States
First fielded
2009

Sources4

  1. 1.
    OtherMy Thrilling Flight In The Air Force CV-22 Osprey

    Sam Eckholm · Oct 8, 2022 · Supports: System · name

    “CV-22 Osprey”
  2. 2.
    CompanyBell Boeing Completes CV-22 Critical Design Review

    Boeing · Dec 18, 1998 · Supports: System milestone

    “successfully completed its Executive Critical Design Review this week.”
  3. 3.
    Government recordCV-22 Osprey > Air Force > Fact Sheet Display

    Supports: System, System · first fielded year, System · operator countries, System · system component:ae-1107c, System milestone

    “The mission of the CV-22 is to conduct long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces.”
  4. 4.
    Government recordFirst operational CV-22 rolls out in Texas — AF News republication

    Air Force Print News / AFSOC News Service (archived republication) · Supports: System milestone

    “was unveiled at Bell Helicopter Textron's plant in Fort Worth, Texas, July 25.”

Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.