AURORA, Colorado — Air Force Special Operations Command officials want to get their fleet of Ospreys back in the air for missions but are treading carefully following a CV-22 crash that left eight airmen dead in November.
The service is eager to fly the Osprey again but wants more information first, Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, said during a roundtable with reporters Tuesday at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium conference at Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center.
“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,” Bauernfeind told reporters.
Read Next: In Major Overhaul, Air Force and Space Force Will Roll Out New Ranks, Training, Structure to Compete with China
The Air Force special operations Osprey that went down Nov. 29, call sign Gundam 22, was on a training mission off Japan‘s Yakushima Island. The deadly crash triggered a grounding of all Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy V-22s. That stand-down and multiple investigations into the mishap are still ongoing.
An initial assessment after debris was pulled from the ocean indicated a mechanical failure, raising new questions about the aircraft’s safety. The Osprey fleet had already been under scrutiny…
