Report: V-22 fleet's lifetime operating costs soar

The price of operating the Marine Corps' prized V-22 tiltrotor aircraft grew by $46.1 billion since 2008, Bloomberg News reported.

The lifetime cost of operating the aircraft, which are key to the Marines' long-term plans, was estimated in 2008 at $74 billion. That estimate now stands at $121.5 billion, Bloomberg reported, citing Pentagon data.

The report points to "increased maintenance and support costs."

The lifetime cost estimate comes as senior Marine officials have for months been saying publicly that the once-troubled Osprey program is out of the woods.

Shrinking the V-22 fleet, or halting it at its current size, comes up on many lists of weapon systems that could be altered or killed if the Pentagon has to cut up to $1 trillion over 10 years.

The Ospreys are built by Boeing and Bell Helicopter.

---