Osprey can't maintain combat readiness levels in Iraq

run! its an Osprey!
I am sure it is no shock to anyone who reads this blog, but the Osprey which was recently deployed to Iraq, can't maintain combat readiness of more than 80%. Which is unacceptable. Combat Readiness is measured by the availability of the aircraft over time. The CH-47 Shithook Chinook, a multiple decade old helicopter, can maintain more than 85% and I am telling you some of those Chinooks are OLD. Yet this "State of the Art" $16 billion+ dollar troop killer can't seem to maintain even minimum levels required in Iraq.

... daily reports showed that its "readiness rates" had slipped to as low as 40 percent on one day -– 50 percent on two other days. Those lower rates were largely driven by a dearth of replacement parts when Corps officials saw how some components wore out faster in the desert climes of Iraq, where the sand is finer than almost anywhere in the U.S. -- CS Monitor

Two Ospreys were included for the first time in a well-established mission called "aeroscout," a sort of roving raid in which troops aboard helicopters search for insurgents by air. The ground troops commander scrubbed the mission when one Osprey needed to turn back to base because one of its four generators failed -- DallasNews.com

But wait taxpayers, thats not the killer. The flaw that was causing massive problems prior to deployment to combat. (Due to the engine air particle separator (blower) failing and starting fires.) Have been classified a design flaw and a permanent fix to the design of all Osprey is required. Read: 10's of millions of taxpayer dollars. This is separate from the issues coming up in this combat deployment.

DangerRoom blog over at Wired.com reports there is an upside. Due to the fact that no combat troops want to get anywhere near the freaking thing it has become Brass Taxi.

The Ospreys have become a favorite way to fly VIPs, such as generals. -- wired.com

Heh, indeed.