Via RawStory, AFP informs us that the dark-cloud-obscured V-22 Osprey will enter operational service in Iraq sometime during September.

The US Osprey aircraft is to spread its wings in Iraq for the first time from September despite suffering fatal accidents and serious setbacks during development, officials said Friday.

It will be "truly a historic day for your Marine Corps," said the commander of the Marine Corps, General James Conway.

"The quantum leap in technology that this aircraft will bring to the fight has been a road marked by some setbacks, lots of sacrifices, and the success of these Marines standing before you today."

Thanks to its revolutionary design with two tilting sets of rotors mounted on its wings, the V-22 Osprey takes off like a helicopter, but then flies forward like a plane.

Conway stressed that a squadron of specialized Marines would be deployed in Al-Asad in Iraq from September to fly the aircraft.

"We've gone through a very deliberate process to ensure that operationally, logistically, that the squadron and the aircraft is ready to deploy," added Lieutenant General John Castellaw, deputy commander for aviation.

Each aircraft costs 68 million dollars, and has been jointly built by Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing.

In the long run, it will replace the Marines CH-46 helicopters which date from the Vietnam War.

First conceived some 20 years ago, the Osprey has hit numerous setbacks and had several accidents which have claimed about 30 lives.

The Osprey is the fabled tilt-rotor plane that takes off like a helicopter, then spins its engine nacelles 90 degrees, to fly off like a real airplane. However, all too often the plane displays a distressing tendency to adopt the aerodynamic qualities of a rock. Aircrews have developed an effective workaround, though.