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United States Boeing
V-22 Osprey
Tiltrotor aircraft jointly built by Bell and Boeing that combines helicopter vertical takeoff with turboprop-speed cruise flight, used by the Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy for troop and cargo transport.
In service since 2007 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗
565
km/h
1,627
km range
7,620
m ceiling
💲 ≈ $72,000,000, Approximate flyaway unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 2 operators
In service since 2007. Status: active · ~400 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$180M – $252M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. Published studies put O&S anywhere from ~55% to ~70% of lifecycle cost depending on platform and method, which is why this is a band and not a single number. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Competitive field
42 comparable systems from 11 other manufacturers
Counted in the WeaponSpecs database: helicopters built by another manufacturer. A count of what this catalog holds, not a survey of the whole market. See the alternatives →
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 565 km/h |
|---|---|
| Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station. | 446 km/h |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 1,627 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 7,620 m |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 17.5 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 15.5 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 6.73 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 15,032 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 27,443 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 4 |
| Cargo payload Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie. On an unmanned ground vehicle, this is the maximum mission payload the platform carries, including a weapon station. | 9,070 kg |
| Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more. | 24 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Rolls-Royce AE 1107C-Liberty turboshaft |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 2 |
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 6,150 hp |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turboshaft/tiltrotor |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $72,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 400 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 2 |
Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Head-to-head comparisons
V-22 Osprey vs
Mi-26 
Tiger HAD 
Dhruv Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Boeing V-22 Osprey? +
The Boeing V-22 Osprey has a maximum speed of 565 km/h.
What is the range of the Boeing V-22 Osprey? +
The Boeing V-22 Osprey has a maximum range of 1,627 km.
How much does the Boeing V-22 Osprey weigh? +
The Boeing V-22 Osprey has a combat weight of 27,443 kg.
How many crew does the Boeing V-22 Osprey require? +
The Boeing V-22 Osprey requires a crew of 4.
What engine does the Boeing V-22 Osprey use? +
The Boeing V-22 Osprey is powered by the Rolls-Royce AE 1107C-Liberty turboshaft.
How many countries operate the Boeing V-22 Osprey? +
The Boeing V-22 Osprey is operated by 2 countries.
How much does the Boeing V-22 Osprey cost? +
The Boeing V-22 Osprey has an approximate unit cost of 72,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Lockheed Martin
UH-60M Black Hawk
Bell
UH-1Y Venom
Lockheed Martin
MH-60R Seahawk
Bell
AH-1Z Viper
Related coverage
V-22 Osprey in the news
Article comparison · Aug 12, 2026
MV-75 vs Black Hawk: Does 'Twice as Fast' Hold Up?
The Army says its MV-75 flies twice as fast and far as the Black Hawk. Checked against 46 helicopters in our database, the claim mostly holds up.
Article buying · Jul 24, 2026
Troops Per Ton: Why the V-22 Osprey Ranks Near Last
Troops-per-ton spans a 2.93x range across 16 helicopters; the $72M V-22 Osprey and $87M CH-53K rank 15th and 14th, behind an $8M Indian utility helicopter.