http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/air-force-silenced-general/
This is must read piece regarding the V-22 Osprey, with damning insights literally straight from a V-22 crash investigator’s mouth. The growing culture within the US military focused on protecting certain weapons systems at all costs, and even blaming pilots for their deficiencies, is alarming to say the least. How can operational and technical issues with advanced systems like the Osprey be solved when there is a constant propaganda campaign being waged from within the services themselves and bolstered by the defense industry, to paint a troubled program in the best light, regardless of the facts. This phenomenon is utterly sick and wrong and those who pursue such a strategy should lose their jobs or have their rank stripped. It’s not about “deeming a weapon system unsafe,” it is about truly understanding what ails the system in question in an attempt to fix it or at the very least mitigate its operational risk. This can not be done when certain folks in the services and industry are fighting the truth at every turn. I would be much more content with the USAF stating that CV-22 is more risky to operate than a helicopter, and that lives will be lost during the airframe’s lifespan, and then justifying the capability in regards to this elevated risk. This can be said with the F-22 as well, and even the troubled F-35. Just covering up and denying the truth may make things better in the short term, but it in the long term it is unsustainable and damning for the US armed services, both operationally and culturally.
Denial is a fools game, if those in charge within our military and defense industry see the truth as a expendable commodity than it is time those ideals get kicked out the door with their propagators. The American tax payer pays for these machines, and we deserve the truth concerning their effectiveness, cost, and safety. Anything less is fraud and should be treated as such.
More on my thoughts regarding the V-22:
http://aviationintel.com/2012/06/14/usaf-special-operations-cv-22-crashes-in-florida/
It is pretty obvious that we have been lied and that the numbers have been fudged to make V22 look “safe” by making it so good in the class A category. Pretty much the only one that will get the headline attention. I can’t find the graph but there is a table with all the Marine aviation assets and interesting to note how poorly V22 is doing in the class B and C category.
I think V22 is an incredible machine and has a role/place inside US inventory but let’s stop the BS and admit that it is extreme machine to operate and should be treated as such.