The Marine Corps is working to create a common configuration of V-22 Ospreys, a move that the Air Force also has expressed interest in, said USMC Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation, on Wednesday. Davis said his V-22 fleet has been the most in-demand operational aircraft across the Defense Department. Since 2010, there have been 650 V-22 transfers for deployed units. The Marine Corps is working to make a “common configuration” by updating its oldest V-22s to the same configuration as its newest, said Davis. Air Force Special Operations Command is working with the Marine Corps so each Osprey is the same, whether an airman or marine gets in it, Davis said. The MV-22 Block B and CV-22 Block 10 already are a 90 percent common airframe with the same propulsion systems. Most of the differences are in the avionics systems of the aircraft, according to Boeing.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
