How Much Does The MV-22B Osprey Cost?
The MV-22B Osprey made news today because of a “mishap” that occurred in Australia.
According to news reports, the MV-22B Osprey crashed after an attempted launch from the ship Bonhomme Richard, as part of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265.
How much does the MV-22B Osprey cost? Read on…
MV-22B Osprey Program
The MV-22B Osprey is part of a larger program called the V-22 Osprey, which is used all over the US military, and has been around since the 1980s.
The surprising characteristic about the V-22 Osprey is that it can take off and land vertically, so it doesn’t require a large takeoff/landing area.
The V-22 Osprey program began with the need to rescue hostages in Iran, and eventually developed in to production airplanes.
The V-22B is the newer revision from the 1990s of the V-22. The plane has been involved in several crashes to date, including two fatal crashes.
The cost of the V-22 Osprey program, which includes the MV-22B Osprey, started off at around $2 billion in the 1980s, and quickly ballooned to around $30 billion.
The total cost of the program is likely to be around $60 billion.
MV-22B Osprey Cost
Each Osprey is extremely expensive to produce, and even more expensive to maintain.
Compared to an equivalent capacity helicopter, the MV-22B Osprey costs around double the price.
In total, the MV-22B Osprey cost is around $72 million per unit.
However, this does not include the lifetime cost of maintaining the MV-22B Osprey. That can add up to another $50 million+.
Photo credit: FOX 52
