The Bell V-22 owes its existence to the Bell XV-15 tilt- rotor testbed aircraft, developed in the mid-1970’s. From this experiment the Bell Osprey has evolved into a valuable operational asset, able to fly faster and farther than most helicopters, while retaining the ability to take off and land vertically.

The Osprey entered service in 1997 and is available in three configurations for the US military: the CV-22 for long-range missions on behalf of the USAF’s Special Operations Command, the MV-22 combat assault vehicle for the US Marine Corps which is shown in this painting, and the HV-22 for combat search and rescue, special war-fare, and fleet logistic support. The V-22 can carry 24 troops.