The United States Department of Defense will lift the ban on V-22 Osprey flights in March 2024.
The news was first reported by The Associated Press, citing US officials. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has developed plans to ensure a safe return to operations, which US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved after a meeting on March 1, 2024.
The entire fleet of tiltrotor aircraft has been grounded since early December 2023, following two fatal crashes. The first incident happened on August 27, 2023, during an exercise in Northern Australia, killing three US Marine Corps service members. The second crash, which led to the grounding, occurred on November 29, 2023, off the coast of Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan and claimed the lives of eight US Marines.
The US Air Force Special Operations Command, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps all operate variants of the Osprey. The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), which also operates a small number of MV-22 aircraft, and as such will be informed of the NAVAIR plans.