The V-22 is being developed to perform United States Marine Corps (USMC), United States Navy(USN), and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) combat missions. The V-22 design, incorporating advanced but mature technology proven in the XV-15 tiltrotor demonstrators, V-22 Full Scale Development (FSD) models, and V-22 Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) models, takes advantage of proven technology in composite materials, digital fly-by-wire flight controls, and advanced survivability and crashworthiness. A tiltrotor combines the speed, range and fuel efficiency normally associated with turboprop aircraft with the vertical take-off/landing and hover capabilities of helicopters. The tiltrotor aircraft represents a major technological breakthrough in aviation that meets long standing military needs
The V-22 operates as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. The nacelles rotate 90 degrees forward once airborne, converting the Osprey into a turboprop aircraft. It can provide V/STOL with a payload of 24 troops, or 6,000 pounds (2,722kg) of cargo, at 430 nautical miles (796km) combat range, or V/STOL with a payload of 8,300 pounds (3,765kg) of cargo for a range of 220 nautical miles (407km). The tilt-rotor aircraft is self-deployable world wide with a ferry range over 2,100 nautical miles (3,889km).