Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing are rebuilding the 7th and 9th of the Marine Corps pre-production MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft into prototypes of the 50 new CV-22 deep-penetration special operations birds for the Air Force. The 50 CV-22s will replace 40 less-capable MH-53J helicopters. The first of the new CV-22s will be in action by 2003.--Stephen V Cole

Delivery of the first three production F-2 fighter-trainers to the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force will be pushed back from March to May 2000. Cracks in the composite wing of a prototype aircraft have forced Mitsubishi to redesign the structure, adding 18 pounds of metal reinforcement.--Stephen V Cole