After rough start, Osprey set for Iraq
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WASHINGTON — Ten new V-22 Osprey planes will be in Iraq for combat by September, the Marine Corps said Friday.
Built by Boeing Co. and Bell, a unit of Textron Inc., the planes’ deployment marks a significant reversal for an aircraft program that was nearly scrapped after two deadly test crashes and a history of mechanical failures.
The medium-size tilt-rotor airplane, which takes off vertically like a helicopter and flies likes a plane, replaces the CH-46 Sea Knight, an assault helicopter first used in the Vietnam War.
Gen. James T. Conway, Marine Corps commandant, said 171 Marines would accompany the aircraft, set for deployment to Al Asad airfield in northern Iraq.
The deputy commandant for aviation rejected concerns that the Osprey might not be safe, saying it had been extensively tested and was fully operational.
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