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.
The Air Force is targeting August 2027 for its new T-7A Red Hawk trainer jet to reach its initial operational capability. To get there, the head of Air and Education Training has three milestones he needs to see the program hit.
