U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Program of Record Reaches Milestone

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Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, and Boeing celebrate the achievement of the MV-22 Program of Record (POR) for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Bell and Boeing commemorated the V-22 Osprey production milestone during a ceremony at the Bell Amarillo Assembly Center on July 28.

“This milestone reflects the extraordinary dedication of the teams who design, build, and support the V‑22,” said Eldon Metzger, V‑22 program director, Bell. “For the Marine Corps, this isn’t an end, it's a transition to the next chapter. The V‑22 remains essential to the future fight, and we are committed to delivering sustainment, readiness, and modernization that ensure this aircraft continues to outperform evolving mission requirements.”

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is the first tiltrotor aircraft introduced into military service and has successfully provided speed, range, and terrain agnostic capabilities unlike any other aircraft. The USMC operates the largest V-22 fleet with 359 MV-22 aircraft produced and delivered to the Service.

“Completing the MV-22 Program of Record is a significant milestone,” said Col. Robert Hurst, V-22 Joint Program Office Program Manager. “The V-22 Osprey sets the United States apart from every other military on the planet with the operational employment of tilt-rotor technology. With our Bell Boeing and Joint Program Office team, the delivery of the MV-22 has extended the reach and lethality of the United States Marine Air-Ground Task Force for 20 years, and it will continue to be a game-changer on the battlespace. We remain focused on efforts to enhance fleet readiness, capability, and modernization of the MV-22 Osprey, the backbone of the Marine Corps for decades to come.”

The USMC variant of the Osprey (MV-22) is designed specifically for missions leveraging the speed and range advantages where traditional helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft would be less effective. Some high-profile MV-22 Osprey missions include:

• Venezuela Earthquake Response and Mobilization (June 24 to present): USMC MV-22 Ospreys are providing vital transport support for U.S. and partner nation search and rescue teams.
• Operation Inherent Resolve (2014-2026): MV-22s have been used extensively in Iraq and Syria for troop transport, resupply, and casualty evacuation missions in support of anti-ISIS operations.
• Operation Unified Response to Haiti Earthquake (2022): MV-22 Ospreys played a critical role in the humanitarian relief effort flying 5,300 nautical miles, delivering more than 230,000 pounds of food and transporting 320 aid workers.
• Rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips (2009): During the Maersk Alabama hijacking by Somali pirates, MV-22s supported the rescue operation, providing rapid transport for special operations forces.

“Accomplishing the program of record reflects the hard work of the entire MV-22 team—engineers, technicians, and our supplier partners—who continue to deliver a capability that helps the USMC operate with speed, range, and flexibility,” said Danielle Hoelzer, V-22 program director, Boeing. “The MV-22’s proven and continued performance is a testament to the partnership between Bell and Boeing, and we remain committed to keeping the fleet mission-ready well into the future.”

With the achievement of the MV-22 POR milestone, Team Osprey - the group of industry partners consisting of more than 500 US-based suppliers and 27,000 employees from across 44 states - is now focused on fleet wide sustainment and upgrades to meet the USMC’s expectation of having the MV-22 Osprey fleet flying until 2055. Bell and Boeing continue to build new CMV-22 variants for the U.S Navy and support the Nacelle Improvement modernization program for the U.S. Air Force CV-22 fleet.