V-22 BALLISTIC VULNERABILITY HARDENING PROGRAM

An effective ballistic vulnerability hardening program for the V-22 Osprey aircraft has been developed and is currently being administered by the Bell/Boeing Tiltrotor Team in conjunction with Naval Air Systems Command and Naval Weapons Center. The ballistic hardening program includes systematic requirements development, extensive analysis and testing, and development of ballistic tolerant design features. The program is being administered through all phases of V-22 aircraft development, including Preliminary Design and Full Scale Development, and will be continued in Pilot Production. Due to extensive use of composite materials and the V-22’s unique tiltrotor design, ballistics testing played a critical role in supporting the analysis used for the vulnerability assessment. The testing and analysis enabled the implementation of design decisions which resulted in a design that meets all ballistic vulnerability requirements. As a result, the V-22 Osprey will be the most survivable medium-lift rotorcraft in the western world.