Online military website The War Zone reported today that the U.S. Marines are exploring possible successors to the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The program is advanced enough to have an acronym – the Next Generation Assault Support (NGAS) initiative. Originally planned to continue in service into the 2060s, the troubled Osprey program has faced growing scrutiny, including a three-month grounding last year after a fatal crash.
The previously undisclosed Marine NGAS program is noteworthy, given the continued support and reassurance for the V-22 fleet, now 348 strong. The Marines have pushed back on questions about the Osprey’s future, adding as part of the service’s 2025 Aviation Plan, “Configuration, inventory, and supply chain management remain the top areas of focus as the MV-22B Osprey fleet right-sizes to meet future requirements and challenges.”
Marine Col. Brian Taylor, as leader the V-22 Joint Program Office, said in April 2024. “There is a ton of life left in this platform, and there is a ton of mission left in this platform. But if there’s a better thing that we need to pivot to that’s really kind of up to the services.”
He specifically cited the High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL) program, which explores future VTOL concepts with advanced speed and range capability. That initiative combines with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) program. According to The War Zone, Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing subsidiary, and Bell are currently developing demonstrator designs for SPRINT.
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