Bell Boeing CV-22B Osprey

The CV-22B is the US Air Force variant built for US Special Operations Command, for long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special forces. Compared with the Marine MV-22B it carries two extra inboard wing tanks holding 2,230 L (588 US gal) more fuel, and up to three auxiliary tanks can be added in the cabin. It also has an AN/APQ-186 terrain-following radar for low flying at night and in bad weather, the AN/ALQ-211 electronic-warfare suite and AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis directional infrared countermeasures; the crew is two pilots and two flight engineers.

The CV-22 first flew in February 2000. The first operational aircraft was delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, in March 2006, and the 8th Special Operations Squadron declared initial operational capability in March 2009 with six aircraft. The type replaced the MH-53 Pave Low helicopter; around 50 serve with units at Hurlburt Field, Cannon AFB and Kirtland AFB in the US, RAF Mildenhall in England and Yokota Air Base in Japan.

The fleet is being brought to the Block 20 standard shared with the Marine MV-22, and the APQ-186 is being replaced by the AN/APQ-187 Silent Knight radar also used on the MC-130J. After a CV-22B of the 353rd Special Operations Wing was lost off Yakushima, Japan, on 29 November 2023 with all eight airmen aboard, every V-22 variant was grounded for three months.