Norman D. Dicks: “The amendment would remove $415 million total from Navy and Air Force procurement accounts. This funding would reduce…”

“The amendment would remove $415 million total from Navy and Air Force procurement accounts. This funding would reduce the number of V-22 Ospreys from the DOD portion of the bill. The Osprey has proven itself under combat conditions to be safe, effective, survivable, and maintainable and is meeting all operational taskings. I have actually flown on the Osprey and I feel it is a very safe airplane. Today, flight-hours are increasing rapidly and will exceed 100,000 flight-hours in the first quarter of calendar year 2011. Forty-six percent of these hours have been flown in the last 2 years. The first combat deployment was September 2007. From that time to the present, the V-22 has been in the following deployments: three deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, three deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and three Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments. The Marine Corps has procured nearly two-thirds of the required fleet of aircraft, 250 out of a total of 360. The program is currently in the 4th year of a 5-year multiyear procurement, and we only give multiyear procurements on programs that we think are highly stable. This is a proven aircraft, and I urge rejection of this amendment. This is an important program, one that the Special Forces are going to use, and I think we have to be very careful.”