Washington, DC — After suffering two tragic accidents last year that claimed the lives of 23 soldiers, the Marine Corps’ vaunted MV-22 Osprey program has again come under fire. Federal investigators raided the North Carolina headquarters of the only Osprey squadron last Thursday, relieving the commander, who has been charged with falsifying maintenance records in an effort to aid the troubled program as it moved toward full-scale production.

The V-22 Osprey — which is built in Ridley Park — has always been of questionable military value, but its strong congressional backing made it the Teflon weapon — no criticism could stick. But with last week’s arrest, that political cover appears to be wearing off. There is now a chance for this ill-conceived program to finally come to an end, and the Bush Administration should seize it.

The V-22, a troop transporter that takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane, was designed to carry out amphibious assaults, a fairly limited job description in this day and age. But that hasn’t stopped the Marine Corps from budgeting more than $36 billion for this boondoggle of a weapon. That’s money that could be put to better use by giving the military’s servicemen and women a pay raise, or even — dare I suggest it? — investing it domestically in public education or health care. But providing quality health care doesn’t help a seven-term Congressman like Pennsylvania’s Curt Weldon—in whose district the Osprey is built—rake in campaign contributions from the defense industry, which contributed $80,000 to him in the 2000 election cycle.

By providing large infusions of campaign cash and vital manufacturing jobs in politically key states, the Boeing-produced V-22 has long enjoyed the support of powerful allies in Congress. During his tenure as Defense Secretary, Vice-President Cheney attempted to kill the Osprey, but the program was saved by Congress. Yet after nearly 15 years of research and development, much of the plane’s technology is not ready, as evidenced by a steadily growing pile of official reports documenting problems with the V-22.

An Aug. 16, 2000 report by the Inspector General of the Pentagon described 22 "major deficiencies" within the program. A Nov. 30, 2000 report by Philip Coyle, the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Testing and Evaluation, wrote that the Osprey’s poor reliability record "suggests the V-22 would be available to conduct fewer missions, would abort during a mission more often and would pose a significantly increased maintenance burden — perhaps exceeding the existing maintenance manning of CH-46 squadrons." Despite the Osprey’s approximate price tag of $58 million a copy, it is less reliable than the 36-year-old model it is intended to replace.

Official reports notwithstanding, there may be deadly consequences for troops who fly to the battlefield in the Osprey. Designed to fly faster and farther than any other troop transporter in the Marines’ inventory, the lightly-armored V-22 relies on speed to survive. It cannot carry heavy equipment, so the troops on board can be armed only with light weapons; any heavy loads would slow the plane down and expose it to enemy fire. This will put the Marines at a serious disadvantage. While they are an extremely well-trained and deadly fighting force, Marines need heavy equipment — artillery and armored personnel vehicles, for instance — to hold off a well-armed enemy. In the event of a war, the Osprey will succeed only in dropping lightly-armed troops deep behind enemy lines, without the equipment they depend on, and out of the range of the traditional heavy-lifting helicopters that could supply them.

It remains to be seen whether President Bush is up to the challenge of taking on the parochial interests in Congress by finally canceling the V-22 Osprey. If he does, however, it will be a decision that is practical, fiscally prudent…and long overdue.

Jeremy Bratt is a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow at the Council for a Livable World Education Fund in Washington, D.C. If you would like to respond to this Slant or have one of your own (650 words), contact Howard Altman, City Paper news editor, 123 Chestnut St., Phila., PA 19106 or e-mail altman@citypaper.net.

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