Squadron Service - United States Marine Corps

The MV-22 will replace the current US Marine Corps assault and medium lift helicopters (CH-46E and CH-53D). Due to its range, payload flexibility, and speed, the MV-22 is envisioned as a major component of the Navy/Marine Corps concept of Operational Maneuver from the Sea.

Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX-22) was activated at MCAS New River on August 28th 2003, with a mission to conduct operational testing and evaulation of the Air Force and Marine V-22 variants. VMX-22 will be manned by US Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force personnel.

VMX-22 accepted its first aircraft, V-22 No. 41 (165941), in November 2003 at Bell Helicopter's Amarillo, Texas, plant. The squadron will eventually operate up to 16 aircraft, including four for the upcoming operational evaluation, or OPEVAL, phase. OPEVAL is scheduled to begin in January 2005 and last for five months.

In preparation for the OPEVAL, four MV-22 Ospreys from VMX-22 travelled to Nellis AFB in September 2004 to assess operations in the austere desert environment, develop tactics, techniques and procedures, and conduct pilot and aircrew proficiency training. The deployment was scheduled to last for two weeks.

As part of the deployment, MV-22B 166385 visited MCAS Miramar on 24th September.

On November 8th 2004 the Marine 2nd Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) participated in a training exercise with an MV-22. With the help of Special Operations Training Group (SOTG) instructors, the Marines of the 2nd ANGLICO tested the fast-rope capabilities of the Osprey in preparation for the aircraft's entry into service.

In an effort to qualify 23 Marine Corps pilots from VMX-22 on daytime deck landings, Osprey landing operations were conducted aboard USS "Kearsarge" (LHD-3) between December 7th and 13th 2004.

To complete their qualifications in accordance with the Marine Corps Training and Readiness Manual for air crew, the pilots performed a minimum of five landings on the ship's flight deck; two spots on the forward end of the flight deck (spots two and four); and two on the aft section (spots seven and nine). In addition to their landing qualification, the pilots performed a minimum of two short takeoffs.

Of all the landing spots on the flight deck, spot seven is considered the most challenging because of its location near the ship's island, which narrows the landing space for the aircraft. However, with the skill of the pilots and the ship's flight deck crew, the operation encountered no problems.

On January 19th 2005 VMX-22 discontinued Osprey test flights at the direction of Col. Glenn M. Walters, the squadron's CO, in order to avoid a potential spares shortage.

Prior to Walter's decision, flaking of the thin dense chrome on the input quills within the proprotor gearbox and improper torquing of a part within the gearbox caused a chip light indicator to go off in several Ospreys. While flights could have continued, this could have resulted in the whole proprotor gearbox needing to be replaced, rather than just the input quills.

On February 4th 2005 the last of the Ospreys to take part in the upcoming operational evaluation (Osprey 57, 166389) was flown from Amarillo, TX, to MCAS New River. The aircraft arrived ready for full flight operations. This delivery enabled the squadron to resume flight operations on February 7th, while awaiting spare parts for its remaining aircraft.

Around this time Block A Ospreys were experiencing an engine air particle separate (EAPS) problem. This led to some engine degradation but not to the extent that training flights were affected. Block A aircraft subsequently received a new EAPS.

On February 24th 2005 Tom Laux, the Program Executive Officer for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault, and Special Mission Programs, certified that the V-22 Osprey aircraft was ready for operational testing and evaluation. The actual start date for OPEVAL will be determined by Marine Corps Col. Glenn Walters, commanding officer of VMX-22. However, OPEVAL is expected to begin by mid-March 2005.

On March 28th 2005 leaking hydraulic fluid triggered a fire in the engine compartment of one of the Marine Corps' newest V-22 Ospreys, 166385 (aicraft 53) at MCAS New River. Fluid from a leaking hydraulic line dripped onto hot engine components and ignited while the aircraft was on the ground with its engines running. The fire was quickly extinguished and did little damage. The aircraft was about to fly to Nevada to begin OPEVAL.

OPEVAL actually started on March 29th 2005. The stated purpose of Operational Test-IIG is to "test the operational effectiveness and operational suitability of the MV-22 Osprey". This test is expected to run through the end of June.

In the period 19th - 24th April 2005, MV-22s conducted operational evaluations with Combat Center Marines at Twentynine Palms, California. As part of the evaluation, Osprey pilots worked with ground forces to transport supplies, Humvees and water containers into a simulated hostile area in the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. In addition to airlifting equipment, the Osprey inserted 48 Marines to the forward lines during a mock assault in the MCAGCC desert.

The 8-aircraft Osprey detachment continued evaluations in the Nellis AFB and surrounding areas until late May, when it returned to North Carolina for shipboard operations aboard USS "Bataan" (LHD 5).

The eight MV-22s which landed on the "Bataan" in early June 2005 were the most that had been on a ship at any one time. The "Bataan" also had MH-53s, AH-1Ws, AV-8B Harriers and HH-60 Seahawks on board; this was the first time that all five types had operated from the same flight deck.

On June 18th 2005 the eight OPEVAL MV-22 Ospreys from VMX-22 returned to their MCAS New River base, bringing to a safe conclusion 500 hours of operational testing. Although little has been said officially about the trials - as is normal under OPEVAL rules - it is understood the aircraft performed well technically. The tests concluded without incident, which must be seen as a huge step forward for the Osprey and the concept of tiltrotor operations.

The first operational MV-22 squadron, HMM-263, cased their colours during a standing down ceremony at MCAS New River on June 3rd 2005 and prepared to begin training with VMMT-204 on the Osprey. The squadron will re-form as VMM-263 by the summer of 2006. The squadron previously operated the CH-46E Sea Knight.

On August 12th 2005 Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX-22) staged a landmark event. launching the largest-ever combined flight of MV-22 Ospreys, 16 aircraft in all, to exhibit the "Argonauts" technical and operational capabilities.

Once VMM-263 has converted to the Osprey, the next squadrons to equip will be VMM-162 (January 2007) and VMM-266 (July 2007). So MCAS New River will have five squadrons by then, including VMX-22 and VMMT-204. Initial operational capability, using Block B aircraft, should be achieved during 2007.

On September 28th VMX-22 began to transfer its Block A aircraft to VMMT-204, the Osprey training squadron. In early October 2004 VMMT-204 launched its first Osprey since operations were halted in December 2000 following the fatal crash of 165440.

The CO of the first MV-22 squadron to form, Lt Col Paul Rock, accepted the keys for the first Block B MV-22B at a ceremony at Amarillo, Texas on December 8th 2005. Block B is the baseline configuration required to achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2007.

The second MV-22 squadron to form, HMM-162, cased its colours at MCAS New River on December 9th 2005. It will re-form as VMM-162 on the Osprey in November 2006. Half of the squadron's personnel will go to VMMT-204 to transition to the V-22.

Marines from Marine Aircraft Group-29 and the future Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263 conducted an exercise on January 5th 2006 at their squadron hangar at MCAS New River to determine how much space the Osprey would take up once inside the hangar.

On March 3rd 2006 the US Marine Corps stood up the first operational MV-22 squadron, VMM-263, at MCAS New River. The Marines' MV-22 reaches initial operational capability in the summer of 2007.

On March 27th 2006 MV-22 166389 assigned to VMMT-204 took off uncommanded at MCAS New River with a Marine flight crew on board, resulting in an accident that caused no injuries but at least $1 million damage to the aircraft. The starboard wing broke off when the aircraft hit the ground, which is supposed to happen to relieve stress during a hard landing.

VMM-263 received its first MV-22 on May 4th 2006, and took the aircraft for its first training flight on May 9th. Two more aircraft had been delivered by May 17th.

Two MV-22 Ospreys from VMX-22 (166391 and 166480), accompanied by a pair of KC-130J Hercules tankers from VMGR-252, landed at MCAS Miramar on June 12th 2006 after completing a 9-hour 2,089 mile trip across the USA to test the self-deployment capability of the aircraft. Altitudes during the flight ranged from 14000 to 16000 feet, with sustained ground speeds between 240 and 300 knots. The VMX-22 crews practiced aerial refueling twice, to gain experience with the system. Each aircraft carried an auxiliary 3000lb fuel tank in addition to a 16000lb internal fuel load. The same two aircraft are expected to fly to the UK.

On June 16th 2006 Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (HMM-266) cased their colors and stood down as a CH-46 operator. HMM-266 will be renamed Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-266 (VMM-266), and will stand back up in 2007 as the third operational Marine Corps V-22 squadron.

On July 10th 2006 MV-22 Osprey 166480 made a precautionary landing at Keflavik after suffering two compresssor stalls in its right-hand engine. The aircraft was one of two en route to the Farnborough Air Show in England. The other MV-22, 166391, arrived at Farnborough without incident. After an overnight engine change, 166480 continued its journey to Farnborough. A third 'air spare' returned to MCAS New River once all three aircraft had reached Goose Bay.

Both aircraft participated in the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on July 15th and 16th. 166391 gave a flight demonstration on both days, while 166480 was in the static park.

Both Ospreys began their return trip on July 25th, and arrived to their home base at MCAS New River on July 29th 2006. The aircraft's route home was via Iceland and Goose Bay, mainly because of strong head winds. The trip was apparently trouble-free, other than the replacement of a pressure sensor on one aircraft.

On August 10th 2006 Marines from 1st Battalion 2nd Marine Regiment loaded an Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) onto an MV-22 during a test and evaluation exercise.

The vehicle is designed to provide a deployed Marine Air/Ground Task Force with a ground vehicle that is transportable in the MV-22. VMX-22 provided the Osprey for the exercises.

On August 15th 2006 the rear-mounted M-240 7.62mm medium machine gun was tested on board an Osprey in flight. This is the only on-board defensive weapon which will be carried by the MV-22.

On August 29th 2006 the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing participated in its first aerial refueling of the MV-22 during training in Southern California. The Osprey was refueled by a KC-130J from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11. The training took place in the Kane West Miliary Operational Area.

VMM-263 deployed to NAF El Centro, California, between September 28th and October 19th 2006 for a training exercise. One of the squadron’s main goals while deployed was to test reduced visibility landings. Medium rolling vertical landings produced sand clouds as high as 100 feet.

On October 12th 2006 two MV-22 Ospreys from VMX-22 arrived at NAS Yuma to participate in its first Weapons and Tactics Instructor course. The Squadron simulated long-range air raids and medical evacuations while at Yuma.

On November 9th 2006, tests conducted at Camp Lejeune, NC, found that the MV-22 can safely land on the AM2 Mat system, which is used by the services to land aircraft in remote places around the globe. The tests were conducted to ensure that the thermal impact and impact of the rotor pressure of the MV-22 would not damage the AM2 Mat anchoring system.

On November 28th 2006 VMM-263 introduced Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, to the MV-22 during a number of casualty evacuation drills on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.

On December 1st 2006 an Osprey operating from the USS "San Antonio" confirmed the location of a fishing vessel in trouble off the coast of Virginia.

On December 7th 2006 the left-hand engine of an MV-22 operated by VMMT-204 caught fire after landing at MCAS New River.

In anticipation of their possible deployment in the autumn of 2007, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263) conducted familiarization training with the Army soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia on January 9th 2007. The squadron supplied two MV-22s (166493 and 166494) for the training exercise.

Marines from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune’s operational forces had the chance to experience the capabilities of the MV-22 Osprey first-hand during MV-22 Marine Air Ground Task Force integration training on January 17th 2007. VMM-263 provided air support for approximately 250 Marines from 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Logistics Group and 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.

On February 9th 2007 the USMC grounded its entire fleet of 46 MV-22s after a cold-weather check identified a microprocessor redundancy fault in the flight control system. The processor is supposed to detect and isolate a failed flight-control computer to ensure redundancy in the aircraft's triplex digital flight control system.

Within a week of the grounding, flight-control computers with an earlier microprocessor were pooled and installed in 16 MV-22s (and three CV-22s), to allow testing and training to continue.

A fix for the remaining 34 MV-22s (and five CV-22s) was expected by the end of February.

MV-22 "Ospreys" belonging to VMM-263, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, flew into the record books on March 1st 2007, when they became the first operational tiltrotor aircraft to conduct and successfully complete training (including a simulated airfield seizure) with all the elements of a Marine Air Ground Task Force, during a series of intensive exercises placing the aircraft at the spear tip of airborne assault.

During the exercises, the four MAGTF elements, Command, Ground Combat, Aviation Combat and the Combat Service Support,were introduced to the various operational capabilities of the MV-22 when the aircraft transported Marines from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune to Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic, N.C.

On March 23rd 2007 VMM-266 'Fighting Griffins' officially 'stood up' as the third MV-22 squadron during a ceremony at MCAS New River.

On March 27th 2007 eight MV-22s from VMMT-204 deployed for nearly two weeks to Hurlburt Air Field, part of the Eglin Air Force Base complex near Fort Walton Beach, Florida. This was the first time that the squadron deployed more than four aircraft since it first received the MV-22 in June 1999.

On March 29th 2007 an MV-22 from VMM-263 was preparing to take off from MCAS New River when the crew got warnings of a fire and hydraulic leak in the right-hand engine nacelle. This seems to be the result of a problem with the Engine Air Particle Seperator, which Bell-Boeing have a contract to fix.

On April 4th 2007 it was announced that the MV-22 Osprey had accomplished two major steps required for initial operational capability (IOC) with completion of a major Block B operational test period and a successful IOC Supportability Review. VMX-22 put the Block B Osprey through its paces for the operational test period, known as OT-IIIA. Crews completed 120 Block B flight hours and an additional 65 hours on Block A aircraft, in real-world scenarios over 18 days in the California and Arizona deserts. Crewmembers from VMM-263 and VMMT-204 also participated.

Missions flown included a 2,100 mile self-deployment, assault raids, company insertions, recon insertions and extractions, casualty evacuations, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, noncombatant evacuation operations, and battlefield logistics. Missions involved fast rope and personnel hoist operations, external lift of the M777 Lightweight Howitzer, 1,200 rounds fired from the Ospreys’ M-240D ramp-mounted machine guns, and 22 aerial refuelings. A third of the flying was done at night, including eight aerial refuelings.

Crews faced multiple ground threats day and night, to validate and refine the tactics, techniques and procedures for objective area entry and threat reaction. They also integrated their operations with F/A-18 Hornets, AV-8B Harriers and AH-1 Cobras. For troop delivery and recovery missions, the MV-22s carried 22 to 24 Marines, along with their gear. Average mileage per mission was 725 nautical miles, with the four VMX-22 aircraft logging a total of 30,000 miles during the evaluation period.

On April 13th 2007 the Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. James Conway, announced that the MV-22 Osprey will make its combat debut in Iraq in September 2007, when VMM-263, with 10 Ospreys and 171 personnel, is deployed to Al Asad Air Base.

On May 22nd 2007 VMM-263 flew 10 MV-22 Ospreys from MCAS New River to MCAS Yuma for exercise Desert Talon 2-07, conducting aerial refueling from KC-130J Hercules en route. The squadron has been taking full advantage of the desert terrain to ensure they are prepared for their upcoming deployment to Iraq.

On June 11th 2007 an Osprey leaked hydraulic fluid during a government acceptance flight near Amarillo, Texas. The problem was traced to faulty switches in swash-plate actuators, which make the prop-rotors angle when they spin in helicopter mode. The switch lets the Osprey's computer system know how much hydraulic pressure is in the actuator. Each Osprey has six swash plate actuators, three on each side. Each actuator has two pressure switches.

Twenty-one Ospreys were found to have the faulty switches, and these were inspected and replaced as necessary, starting June 21st. All aircraft had been returned to flight status by June 26th 2007.

On June 13th 2007 the US Marine Corps announced that the Block B version of the MV-22 had achieved initial operational capability. The criteria for IOC included the initial operational readiness of VMM-263 with the requisite number of aircraft and supplies delivered to the squadron, final operational testing of the Block B configuration, and the proving of the logistical support network to keep the aircraft mission-ready when deployed.

On July 10th 2007 MV-22 166391 from VMX-22 landed on HMS "Illustrious" off the eastern coast of America, the first time that an Osprey had embarked on a non-U.S. ship (see images, left).

When VMM-263 deploys to Iraq in September 2007, its ten MV-22s will be transported aboard the USS "Wasp".

In mid-July 2007 MCAS Miramar hosted a detachment of several VMM-162 Ospreys which arrived to familiarize the squadron with local flight patterns.

In August 2007 Ospreys from VMM-162 flew more than 2100nm to participate in various training exercises with the squadrons of the 3rd MAW based at MCAS Miramar in California. These exercises were scheduled for August 17th to September 8th.

On August 22nd and 24th Ospreys teamed up with KC-130J Hercules from VMGR-352 to participate in high-altitude refuelling training. One KC-130J transfered more than 1000lb of fuel to two Ospreys.

The USMC confirmed on September 19th 2007 that VMM-263 had deployed 10 Ospreys and about 200 Marines aboard USS "Wasp", with the last aircraft landing-on the previous day. Bell-Boeing are sending 14 maintenance personnel to assist in the deployment.

On November 6th 2007 Block A MV-22 165948 assigned to VMMT-204 was seriously damaged after a fire in its left engine nacelle forced it to make an emergency landing near Holly Ridge in the Marine Corps training area at Camp Davis, close to NCAS New River. The aircrew activated the onboard fire suppression systems, landed and evacuated the aircraft. The damaged aircraft was not fitted with the engine air particle separator (EAPS) modification kit, introduced after the EAPS was implicated in two earlier Osprey engine fires. Damage was assessed as Class A (more than $1 million).

Initial analysis of the November 6th engine fire suggested that the EAPS was responsible. Accordingly, on December 4th 2007 the US Navy placed a flight restriction on all US-based Ospreys, prohibiting them from flying until the modified EAPS is installed. The restriction does not affect the ten MV-22s deployed to Iraq, as each of the aircraft is already equipped with the modification.

The EAPS is a blower that keeps out dust, sand and other potentially damaging particles. But a defect in the blower sometimes causes it to jam. The sudden stop sends a jolt through the number-three hydraulics line that powers the blower. Eventually, the jolts weaken the hydraulics tube and cause it to leak. The super-heated fluid is channeled out of the nacelle, but its course runs directly into the infrared suppressor, which is the source the engine fires.

The Marines of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 arrived at Al Asad to support air operations in the Al Anbar province on October 4th 2007. After the aircraft had left USS "Wasp" and were en route to the Al Asad Air Base in Anbar, one Osprey was forced to land in Jordan and make a second unscheduled landing the next day because of an undisclosed mechanical issue.

The "Thunder Chickens" took over the entire range of combat medium lift assault support missions in support of Multi-National Forces – West from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363. These include battlefield circulation, raid and Aeroscout operations, helicopter/tiltrotor governance, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel alert and casualty evacuation alert, flying everywhere within MNF-West throughout the battlefield from Baghdad to Al Qaim providing an operational capability over distance and time that has effectively "collapsed the battlespace". The squadron completed more than 2,000 ASRs in the first 3 months of the deployment. They accomplished every mission and met every schedule while maintaining an average mission capable availability rate of 68.1%.

On December 6th 2007 two Ospreys carried 24 combat-loaded Marines and 24 Iraqi troops on a raid near Lake Tharthar, 150 miles north of Baghdad, to look for suspected insurgents. Two days later, two Ospreys were included for the first time in a well-established mission in which troops aboard helicopters search for insurgents by air. The ground troops commander scrubbed the mission when one Osprey needed to turn back to base because of a generator failure.

As of December 28th 2007, the 23 pilots of VMM-263 had logged 1,639 hours of flight time in Iraq, carried 6,826 passengers and delivered 631,837 pounds of cargo without a mishap or even a close call. By January 23rd 2008 the flight hours had gone up to about 2000, and the number of personnel carried to about 8000.

On January 18th 2008 Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 4 and VMM-263 worked together to complete an external lift resupply mission utilizing the MV-22. Three Ospreys transported a total of 32,000 pounds of food, water, clean laundry and mail from Al Qaim to landing zone Da Nang in the Al Anbar province.

According to Maj. John W. Spaid, a MV-22 pilot and assistant operations officer with VMM-263, 2nd MAW, the mission was significant because it was the first external lift assault support request assigned to VMM-263 in a combat zone.

On March 5th 2008 VMM-266 with its Ospreys arrived at MCAS Miramar for a two-week training exercise. Osprey squadrons will be permanently based at Miramar from 2010.

On March 20th 2008 HMM-261 made its final flight with the CH-46E helicopter before begining the transition to the MV-22 (as VMM-261) on April 11th .

About 175 members of VMM-162, plus two MV-22s, deployed to Iraq on March 27th 2008. They replaced VMM-263 personnel, although the twelve MV-22s already in Iraq remained in theatre. The bulk of VMM-263 personnel returned to New River on April 19th 2008. The unit flew more than 2,500 sorties during its seven-month deployment, with each of its aircraft flying an average of 62 hours per month.

On May 8th 2008 it was reported that most of the MV-22s that the U.S. Marine Corps recently used in Iraq were being brought back to the United States, so that they could be taken apart to determine exactly how much wear and tear they suffered in the Iraqi desert.

The MV-22s proved easier to maintain than the CH-46 aircraft they replaced. The MV-22s needed 9.5 man hours of maintenance for each hour in the air, versus 24 hours for each CH-46 flight hour. While the MV-22 required less maintenance than expected, the dust and sand in Iraq led to some engines being replaced.

The Marine Corps has modified the training syllabus for pilots transitioning to the MV-22 to place greater emphasis on simulator time and reduce the number of flights in the real aircraft. The changes began to be introduced as the fourth squadron started conversion training on the MV-22.

Transitioning aircrew acquire about 100 hours of "flight" time, of which about two-thirds are accumulated in the simulator and the rest using VMMT-204's 21 MV-22B Block A Ospreys. Roughly four instrument and navigation flights that were conducted in the aircraft will now be carried out in the high-fidelity, full-motion simulators at MCAS New River.

On June 21st 2008 a MV-22 was forced to make a precautionary landing in Iraq after taking off with 20 Marines and a full fuel load. The crew found that the aircraft's right-hand engine would only generate about 60 percent of the required power, and they were unable to maintain altitude even though the second engine was performing at full power. They elected to make a vertical landing in a field. The cause of the engine problem was being investigated.

Between September 2007 and July 13th 2008 Ospreys in Iraq had logged 5,200 combat flight hours in around 3,000 sorties. On its initial seven-month deployment, VMM-263 recorded a mission availability rate of around 70% and a monthly flying rate per aircraft of around 65 hours. VMM-162 is the current operating unit in Iraq.

VMM-263 is scheduled to deploy as the Aviation Combat Element for the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in summer 2009.

A catastrophic fire that nearly engulfed Block A MV-22 Osprey 165948 on November 6th 2007 was sparked by a leaking hydraulic line in the left-side engine nacelle, investigators found. The fire broke out about half way through a nearly five-hour training mission, when fluid from a key hydraulic system that powers landing gear, opens the rear door and helps filter the air inlets to the Osprey's engines poured out of the lines after spikes in pressure fractured the thin-walled tubes. The fluid drained onto the infrared suppressor section of the nacelle - where hot exhaust from the engine is cooled to cut down on the plane's heat signature - sparking the mid-air fire which caused more than $16 million in damage to the aircraft, according to the Judge Advocate General Manual Investigation report obtained by Military.com.

Pictures of the MV-22 provided in the JAGMAN report show a twisted hulk at the end of the left wing, the Osprey's huge rotors bent downward, melted composite material solidified in mid-air as it dripped toward the ground. The aircraft has now been repaired and returned to service. All Ospreys have been modified to prevent the problem from happening again, the Corps said.

On March 21st 2009 the crew of an MV-22 which had landed at Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq, heard strange noises, and on inspection four bolts were found rattling loose inside one of the MV-22’s two engine nacelles. The bolts appear to have shaken loose after the aircraft landed. The bolts are used to attach a swashplate that controls the pitch of the propeller blade. If the swashplate were to come loose during flight, the aircraft would become uncontrollable.

After the whole V-22 fleet was grounded on March 23rd, three more MV-22s at Al-Asad and one at MCAS New River were also found to have loose bolts. All the aircraft affected had flown a relatively high number of hours. The fleet had been returned to flight status by March 26th.

During April 2009 USS "Bataan" (LHD5) bacame the first ship to deploy with the MV-22 Osprey in an amphibious environment. Bataan embarked VMM-263 with a complement of 10 Ospreys.

Om April 1st 2009 the USMC ended its Osprey deployment in Iraq. VMM-266 will leave Al-Asad AB by June 2009.

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, with the 22nd MEU embarked, deployed on May 13th 2009 to conduct maritime security operations in the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations.

On May 27th 2009 an Osprey from VMMT-204 had to make a precautionary landing in Holly Shelter Game Land in Pender County, North Carolina. The 4-man crew was conducting low-altitude training when the aircraft experienced an engine problem. The pilot made a precautionary landing in a nearby field to ensure the safety of his crew and determine what was needed to get the engine working again. The crew successfully restarted the engines after a fuel cell boost, but the grass around the aircraft caught fire, resulting in damage to the outside of the aircraft.

The 22nd MEU made history on June 25th 2009 by using two MV-22B Ospreys assigned to VMM-263 to conduct a ship-to-shore emergency medical evacuation of a sailor from USS "Bataan". After the casualty was on board the aircraft travelled 147 nautical miles in 37 minutes to a regional airport where an ambulance transfered the sailor to a hospital for further treatment.

During the aircraft's first amphibious deployment, it flew in support of theater security cooperation events in three countries, including US Central Command's largest exercise, Bright Star 2009 in Egypt.

The Osprey was also used to conduct multiple medical evacuations from ship to shore and was employed to conduct logistics flights to Rota, Spain, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Djibouti, and Bahrain. For more than a month, the squadron supported desert training when the 22nd MEU trained ashore in Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

On August 31st 2009 members of USS "Mesa Verde's" (LPD 19) flight deck team had their first opportunity to provide support for an MV-22 Osprey. The aircraft from VMM 162 made six landings on the flight deck which gave the pilots a chance to train on landing and gave Mesa Verde personnel the experience of bringing an Osprey aboard the ship.

On November 6th 2009 pilots from VMM-263 (Reinforced) launched ten Ospreys in three waves from the amphibious assault ship USS "Bataan" in the Indian Ocean, flying the 510 nm to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, in just over two hours. The aircraft will be transferred to VMM-261 when that squadron's personnel arrive in-country.

The Marines want to base eight MV-22 squadrons at MCAS Miramar, and two more at nearby Camp Pendleton. The first MV-22s based on the West Coast are expected to land at Miramar, where in early October officials redesignated Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161.

On December 12th 2009 VMM-161 received its first MV-22 when 167903/YR-01 was handed over at MCAS Miramar.

On January 19th 2010 twelve MV-22s from VMM-162 (part of the 24th MEU) landed on the deck of USS "Nassau", marking the onset of its 6-month deployment in the US Southern Command area of operations. They were soon in action in Haiti, supporting the humanitarian assistance mission following the earthquake in that country on January 12th.

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