The engine icing that caused a CV-22 Osprey bound for Edwards AFB, Calif., from Amarillo, Tex., on Oct. 18 to land in Arizona was no big deal, per V-22 program officials. They told the Amarillo Globe-News this week that the incident is still under investigation, but that it will not affect production Ospreys, which, unlike the text aircraft, have de-icing equipment. The Navy has had V-22s in Halifax, Nova Scotia, undergoing icing testing and started the third phase of icing testing Monday in Halifax.
The Air Force needs a high-end aircraft that can operate in contested environments that will work with the service’s new Collaborative Combat Aircraft semi-autonomous drones and other less pricey platforms, the service's officer said March 18. “Instead of going all high-end and then breaking the bank and not being able…