Pictured is a U.S. Air Force photo of three CV-22 Ospreys with the 353rd Special Operations Wing conducting aerial refueling with an MC-130J Commando II during a disaster relief effort in the Philippines in July last year.

A dozen new, "Dash 123" proprotor gearboxes (PRGBs) for the Marine Corps/Navy/Air Force V-22 are coming off the line monthly, yet a legislator suggested on Tuesday that the rate needs to increase to avoid potential crashes of tiltrotors having older gearboxes with double-melt, weaker X-53 steel. The V-22s are now expected to resume restriction-free flight by December, 2027--a year later than the V-22 Joint Program Office projected in the spring of last year (Defense Daily, May 2, 2025). Such restrictions…