October 20, 2005
Taylor to lead V-22 through production, first fleet operations

by James Darcy
V-22 Public Affairs

Marine Corps Col. Bill Taylor will assume command of the V-22 Osprey program office, PMA-275, in a ceremony in the NAVAIR Headquarters building atrium Friday at 2 p.m. Guest speakers will include John Young, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Hough, deputy commandant for aviation.

Taylor relieves Air Force Col. Craig Olson, who turns over command just weeks after shepherding the program through the greatest milestone in the Osprey's history. On Sept. 28 the V-22 earned approval for full-rate production from a Defense Acquisition Board chaired by Kenneth Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

That decision cleared the way for production of the Osprey to ramp up from the previously dictated limit of 11 aircraft per year to as many as 48 per year by fiscal year 2012.

The Marine Corps plans to purchase 360 MV-22s for missions including amphibious assault, ship-to-objective maneuvers and sustained operations ashore. The Navy is also slated to get 48 MV-22s, which could be used for fleet logistic support and search and rescue. The Air Force Special Operations Command will acquire 50 CV-22 variants, with enhanced capabilities tailored for their unique mission requirements.

The DAB decision was predicated on the highly successful results of the V-22's operational evaluation, which concluded in August with the Osprey being rated "operationally effective, suitable, and survivable," OPEVAL language for success.

"As we presented details of the program to the DAB, I truly felt surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of government and contractor personnel who have dedicated their hearts and souls to maturing this technology to the point where we can all truly feel comfortable and excited about delivering it to the warfighter," Olson said.

Although developmental and operational testing will continue in support of the Osprey throughout its lifetime, Taylor said, the program has now graduated from proving a new technology to refining its implementation. Taylor has served as deputy program manager since December 2003.

"The OPEVAL establishes a baseline for us, validating all the work we've done to meet our obligations to the warfighters waiting on this capability," said Taylor. "It also provides additional guidance for our follow-on testing roadmap."

That testing will include expansion of the aircraft's operating envelope for increased maneuverability, more extensive night and brown-out operations, and tests to incorporate the M240 7.62mm defensive weapon system at the rear ramp.

The Fleet will deploy with the Block B configuration of the MV-22, which incorporates various other improvements that were not in the Block A training aircraft, to provide initial operational capability in 2007.

On Oct. 6, members of the integrated test team completed a "high-hot" testing detachment in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they validated the MV-22's performance envelope at high altitudes and air temperatures, and high gross takeoff weights. Another extensive test detachment is scheduled for February 2006 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

While these planned follow-on tests continue, the Osprey community is gearing up for training the next generation of tiltrotor pilots. On Sept. 28 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., the operational evaluation squadron VMX-22 began the transfer of Block A aircraft to VMMT-204, the Osprey training squadron. Earlier this month, VMMT-204 launched its first Osprey since an operational pause initiated in December 2000 following two mishaps suffered by that squadron. The Osprey returned to flight testing in May 2002, after extensive engineering and programmatic changes.

"Getting VMMT-204 back in the air now paves the way for training a new generation of Osprey pilots, but it also gives us reason to reflect on how far we've come in the last five years," Taylor said. The recent OPEVAL proved that the issues contributing to those mishaps had been identified and corrected, and that the program is indeed delivering on its promises, he said.

During his tenure as program manager, much of his focus will be on supporting the training squadron, preparing the operational squadrons that will take the V-22 to war, and ensuring the long-term logistics support and sustainability of the Osprey fleet, Taylor said.

For the CV-22, initial operational capability is scheduled for 2009, following additional operational evaluation focused on the systems unique to that aircraft. Air Force CV-22 pilots will begin their training with VMMT-204, then move to the 71st Special Operations Squadron at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, for training in systems and tactic unique to the CV-22.

In order to keep the personnel pipeline moving, the program has scheduled an operational utility evaluation for summer 2006, to clear a preliminary training flight envelope that will allow Air Force pilots coming out of VMMT-204 to begin training on the CV-22.

The first production-representative CV-22 test vehicle was delivered to Pax River last month for electromagnetic environmental effects testing, which is still ongoing.

"It's an exciting time to be working on the V-22," Taylor said. "We're on track to deliver a capability that no one else in the world can match."

Although Taylor has extensive experience in acquisitions at both the NAVAIR and Department of the Navy level, he also has more than 4,700 flight hours, most in the CH-46 Sea Knight, which the MV-22 will replace for the Marine Corps.

"I know the mission, I know the community, and I know that the V-22 is going to transform the way they fly and fight."

http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/tester/10_42/local_news/37749-1.html