The US Navy is temporarily replacing its grounded fleet of V-22 Ospreys with its last squadron of retiring C-2A Greyhound aircraft.
The move comes as the service needs to keep aircraft carriers in the Pacific and the Middle East supplied and operational — a task left by the Ospreys since their grounding in December 2023.
According to a spokesperson for the commander of the US Naval Air Forces, there are still 15 Greyhounds that can perform logistics and personnel transfers for the US Navy’s fifth and seventh fleets.
However, she clarified that these aircraft are nearing the end of their service life, having been supporting various military operations for almost 60 years.
Despite the Greyhounds being set to retire by 2026, the US Navy said it sees “limited operational impact at this point” for temporarily tapping the twin-engine cargo aircraft.
‘Eager to Fly the Osprey Again’
The US military grounded its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey following a series of fatal crashes, including in November when eight airmen died off the coast of Japan.
The US Congress has already ordered a thorough investigation into the entire Osprey program, beginning with the request for documentation on the aircraft’s safety record.
According to US Naval Air Forces Commander Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, there could be “significant operational impacts” in the future if the V-22 will not fly again.
Conversations are reportedly ongoing at multiple levels about getting the Osprey flying again, with the US Air Force saying it is doing its part to get the fleet back in the air.
“There is a strong desire to return to fly because that is a capability we want to have, but we want to be able to return to fly with as much knowledge as we possibly can so that we can ensure that we are safely taking care of our crews as it goes forward,” Air Force Special Operations Command Head Gen. Tony Bauernfeind said.