Bell Helicopter and Boeing have received a more than half a billion dollar US Navy contract to build four MV-22 Osprey tilt rotors for Japan, the US Department of Defense announced.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The tiltrotor Osprey can travel at airplane speeds and hover like a helicopter for vertical landings on a carrier decks.
However, the US Marine Corps variant of the Osprey has come under heavy criticism, with many refusing to fly an aircraft they consider defective, and a deathtrap.
Since 2007, Osprey defects have been linked to crashes and accidents resulting in 36 fatalities, including six during combat situations.
