The Bell-Boeing V-22: A New Capability for the U.S. Armed Forces

What they asked us to do ...

Bell Helicopter faced entrenched resistance from the Defense Department for the adoption of the V-22 Osprey, a revolutionary new aircraft that takes off like a helicopter and flies like an airplane. Indeed, Pentagon skeptics–with the aid of competitors, maintained attacks on the aircraft as technologically unsound, dangerous to fly, and too costly to deploy. Opposition intensified as a result of several crashes including one that killed a load of Marines during the flight test period. Former Vice President Dick Cheney once tried to cancel the project while Defense Secretary.

What we did ...

Cohn & Wolfe strategists organized a non-partisan Texas Tiltrotor Technology Task Force in Bell's home state, composed of top elected officials and prominent business and community leaders as a unified voice to support the project. Agency public affairs and media specialists conceived and orchestrated a continuing program of strategic communications and activities to help build and maintain support for the project in Congress. Voices of the alliance included subcontractors who had relationships with members of Congress. Beyond program conception and execution, C&W served as administrative base for the coalition and managed relationships with a series of Texas governors who served as its chairs, including former chief executive George W. Bush.

Our results ...

Vigorously supported by the Marine Corps and timely communications from members of the Task Force, the V-22 Osprey eventually overcame opposition as Congress authorized funds for an initial handful of aircraft. After extended testing by the Marine Corps with no other significant incidences, the Defense Department and Congress authorized full production of the V-22. More than 100 of the aircraft now have been produced at its Amarillo, Texas assembly plant, and a fleet of 12 has been deployed in Iraq for more than 18 months with a perfect safety record. Following the lead of the Marines, the Air Force has placed orders with the Pentagon for the V-22.