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The USMC received the last of its 359 MV-22B tilt-rotor aircraft, which will remain the mainstay of the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) aerial logistics until 2055.

The U.S. Marine Corps reached a major milestone on Jul. 28, 2026 with the delivery of its last MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, completing its Program of Record (PoR) of 359 aircraft. With the Corps now shifting its focus from operationally fielding to modernization and sustainment of the aircraft, the service and Bell stressed upon the versatile platform’s vitality in Marine logistical operations, rapidly transporting troops and equipment well up to 2055.

The Marines operate the largest fleet of V-22 Ospreys, now flying 359 MV-22Bs which account for 75% of the service’s rotary-wing assault support. The final aircraft rolled out of the Bell Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas in a special ceremony attended by senior USMC officials and company executives.  

The other U.S. Osprey users, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), fly 29 CMV-22Bs and 51 CV-22Bs, with a total planned fleet for a PoR of 46 and 53 aircraft, respectively, as per figures counted by December 2025. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), the only international user of the Osprey, operates 17 MV-22s.

#MarineCorps and industry partners marked the completion of the MV-22B Osprey Program of Record on July 28, 2026, with the delivery of the 359th aircraft.

This milestone shifts the Marine Corps’ focus from fielding the aircraft to sustaining and modernizing the fleet for… pic.twitter.com/CUu20vbSg1

— U.S. Marines (@USMC) July 29, 2026

In the U.S. Marine Corps, the Osprey attained Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2007. Since then, it has flown over 686,500 hours across 114 operational deployments globally, conducting everything from combat operations, contested logistics, medical evacuations and humanitarian assistance from forward-deployed locations, the press release said.

USMC MV-22 Osprey

Bridging the gap between rotary-wing and fixed-wing capabilities, the Marines said the Osprey’s configuration helps “transport personnel and cargo faster and farther than legacy platforms, operating from both amphibious ships and austere shore sites.” Marine Expeditionary Unit-based MV-22Bs can extend the aircraft’s operational reach to almost any location around the globe, said the statement. 

A Marine MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 268 (Reinforced), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26, during Exercise Pitch Black 26 in Darwin, Australia, Jul.   23, 2026. | Source: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Kyle Chan

Lt. Gen. William Swan, Deputy Commandant for Aviation, said the MV-22B “fundamentally changed the way the Marine Air-Ground Task Force generates combat power.” He further added “it provides commanders with decision space that only speed and reach can provide, connecting ships, bases and distributed forces in ways previous generations could only imagine. Today, Marine commanders build operations around the assumption that the MV-22B will be there.”

V-22 Joint Program Office (JPO) Program Manager Col. Robert Hurst said the V-22 Osprey sets the United States apart from every other military on the planet with the operational employment of tilt-rotor technology.” He further added “the delivery of the MV-22B 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-22B Osprey, the backbone of the Marine Corps for decades to come.”    

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26 disembark an MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 268 Reinforced, MRF-D 26, during a mass casualty training event at Mount Bundy Training Area in Northern Territory, Australia, July 25, 2026. | Source: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Grant Schirmer

Osprey’s troubled history

The Osprey had a troubled history in U.S. service, with four fatal mishaps since 2022 that have killed 20 service members, injured another 20, and taken the life of 65 military personnel since the entry in service, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

These have been owing to long-standing technical problems like the so-called “hard-clutch engagements,” poor metallurgy of the alloy in a steel gear in the Prop-Rotor Gear Box (PRGB) – the reason behind the Nov. 29, 2023 AFSOC CV-22B crash off the Japanese coast that killed eight personnel – and a flawed input quill assembly. Secondary issues like lack of logistical cooperation, maintenance data sharing between the three American users, and their poor coordination with the Joint Program Office (JPO) flagged by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), has exacerbated the problems.

The Osprey however remains a critical heavy logistical and personnel transport provider to the three services, offering the lift and vertical take-off capability of a helicopter and the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane. While in the Navy drones are poised to supplant the CMV-22B and the MH-60 for the lighter loads, the Osprey will remain the mainstay of the Carrier On-Board Delivery (COD) mission.

A Marine MV-22B Osprey assigned to VMM 363, MAG 24, 1st MAW, hoists a survivor in a rescue basket during water rescue training at Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, July 10, 2026. | Source: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Anabelle Reed-O’Brien

Marine MV-22B Ospreys for instance figured prominently in the Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) operations into Venezuela following the recent earthquake. Under the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Marine Ospreys frequently flew men and material to the Simon Bolivar International Airport and Hato Airport in Curacao.

The platform has also acquired new roles like Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), first seen during exercises in 2025. For this mission, the MV-22B teamed up with U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawks and deployed sonobuoys to detect underwater acoustics for ships and submarines.

#Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit load supplies on MV-22B Osprey with supporting supplies at Hato Airport, Curacao.

At the direction of @Southcom, assigned U.S. military forces are supporting @StateDept-led U.S. disaster assistance to the people of Venezuela in… pic.twitter.com/UFZALEhjHt

— U.S. Marines (@USMC) July 3, 2026

Safety issues addressed

Interestingly, the Marines’ press release indirectly referred to the aforementioned safety issues when it briefly listed the modernization steps being undertaken to keep the MV-22 operational through 2055. “Current initiatives are focused on improving nacelle wiring to reduce maintenance hours, pursuing improved prop-rotor gear boxes with triple-melted, refined steel components, standardizing aircraft configurations across the fleet and redesigning key components to enhance safety and make the aircraft more sustainable,” said the service. 

This is the first indirect admission of the problems in the Osprey’s complicated engineering in an official service release, which so far have publicized only regular operations, and safety stand downs following mishaps. These issues are expected to have been addressed in the Bell MV-75 Cheyenne II for the U.S. Army, which only has the rotor-hubs tilting instead of the entire engine nacelle.

Heavy lift around the clock!

In the glow of the setting sun, CMV-22B Ospreys launch, recover and load cargo on the flight deck of USS George Washington. Rapid logistical missions guarantee operational readiness to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific. #FlyNavy | #US7thFleet pic.twitter.com/NJiSRGRyMH

— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) June 3, 2026

Swan further spoke about the continuous improvement and evolution of the Osprey: “We cannot assume that because the MV-22B transformed Marine aviation once, its evolution is complete. It is our responsibility to carry this legacy forward and ensure this aircraft remains ready, relevant, safe and lethal for the fight ahead.”

#Marines with @15thmeu, #ROKMarines and #ROK Navy SEALS conduct a military free fall jump from a #USMC MV-22B Osprey. pic.twitter.com/EdyLnw1RMZ

— III MEF Marines (@IIIMEF) September 6, 2024

Bell, on its part, in addition to mentioning the continuing production of “new CMV-22 variants for the U.S. Navy,” also informed that it is currently supporting the “Nacelle Improvement modernization program for the U.S. Air Force CV-22 fleet.”