Ospreys won’t return to full flight status until at least 2025, program head tells Congress

By TARA COPP
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The military’s hundreds of V-22 Ospreys will not be permitted to fly their full range of missions until at least 2025. During a Wednesday hearing with lawmakers, the program head said that the Pentagon is continuing to address safety concerns in the fleet. It will take at least another six to nine months before the command can complete all of its safety and performance assessments for the Osprey. A House Oversight Committee panel launched an investigation into the safety and oversight of the V-22 Osprey following a string of fatal crashes, including one off the coast of Japan that killed eight service members last November.