Osprey Flying Again, Yet Its Safety Still in Question
After being grounded for months following a crash last year that killed eight US service members in Japan, the V-22 Osprey is back in the air. Many question whether it should be. The military says it mitigated the problem with the aircraft, but the families of those killed are not convinced.
Chebi: Osprey Restrictions Will Remain Until 2025
House lawmakers questioned Pentagon officials last week about the V-22 Osprey’s safety record. During the hearing Wednesday, VADM Carl Chebi, head of US Naval Air Systems Command, said the aircraft will remain under safety restrictions until 2025.
Pendleton Detects PFAS in Drinking Water
Camp Pendleton is the latest installation to find elevated levels of PFAS in drinking water, and is not alone in the Southern California region to discover the forever chemicals in the groundwater supply.
Clutch Issues Ground Some V-22 Ospreys
A US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey approaches the flight deck of the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams on January 6, 2023. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Conner D. Blake/Released) Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff. The US Naval Air Systems Command grounded a subset of V-22 Osprey aircraft last week due to hard clutch engagement issues with the tilt-rotor aircraft, reports…
2011 PFAS Risk Alert Triggered No Action
An inspector general report from 2020 found DoD issued a “risk alert” regarding PFAS in 2011 without accompanying action instructions. The first risk management actions regarding the toxic chemicals used throughout the military for firefighting came in 2016. The IG report comes two years after dozens of lawmakers requested a review.
V-22 Milestone: 600,000 Flight Hours
A milestone for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey as the tiltrotor aircraft logs more than 600,000 flight hours since the count began with the first flight in 1989. The V-22 family of aircraft are designed to fly for the next 30 years and remain the only tiltrotor in production.
FEMA Asks for DoD Medical Help in TX and CA
About 740 military personnel were dispatched to Texas and California after the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested DoD assistance in tamping down the coronavirus pandemic. Soldiers are being dispatched from the Army’s Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces from the 627th Hospital Center out of Fort Carson, CO.
Cyber Worker Shortage Still Plagues Army Combat Teams
A Defense Department inspector general reports says the most common personnel shortages plaguing the US Army’s active-duty brigade combat teams are cyber network defenders and electromagnetic spectrum managers.
New Name for US Pacific Command
The US Pacific Command has a new name. It will now be called US Indo-Pacific Command in the latest move to counter Chinese economic and military pressure in the region.
Japan Struggles to Accept Osprey Role After Recent Crash
Despite strong local concerns about the safety of the US V-22 Ospreys at Okinawa, the Japanese Defense Ministry describes the aircraft as imperative for Japan’s defense.
