‘THE WIDOWMAKER’

Congress to Probe Military’s Osprey Program After Deadly Crashes

Over 50 Americans have died in the aircraft.

The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into the reliability of the military’s V-22 Osprey program following the deaths of eight U.S. service members in a crash off the coast of Japan. The aircraft, known as “the widowmaker,” was grounded entirely in the U.S. and Japan after the most recent incident. Over 50 Americans have died in similar Osprey crashes through the years. In a letter, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) demanded that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin turn over heaps of information pertaining to the Osprey program to aid the investigation in the new year. “Our servicemembers remain in harm’s way without resolution of known mechanical issues,” he wrote.