The Osprey replacement creates a COD capacity problem

Why did the US Navy replace the C-2 Greyhound with the CMV-22B Osprey instead of buying new Greyhounds?

Helping the Marine Corps programme favoured the Osprey, but the panel argues that the reduced order and extra missions leave too few aircraft for carrier delivery.

The reported July 2026 retirement of the C-2 Greyhound came during an operation already under way for several months. The Navy's requirement is described as falling from 48 Ospreys to 44, with 39 ordered in 2018 and initial operations and deployment following in 2021. The Greyhound force is recalled as having numbered roughly 56 at different points. Supporting the Marine Corps aircraft programme helped make the tiltrotor an attractive procurement choice, while gearbox upgrades remained part of the work needed to sustain it. The Osprey can land vertically on more large-deck ships, but some escort decks cannot accept its concentrated landing loads without reinforcement. Using the same Ospreys for sling loads or short-range fleet distribution adds missions without adding aircraft. Long-distance external loads are rejected as an impractical resupply method, though shorter transfers between ships remain possible. Those local tasks would still remove aircraft from carrier onboard delivery, so using the extra capabilities requires a larger fleet.