The V-22 Osprey Finally Deploys

[Dick Splash]

I heard this on NPR yesterday;

Marine Osprey squadron heads for Iraq

18 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The first combat squadron of MV-22 Ospreys, the innovative hybrid aircraft that lands like a helicopter and flies like a plane, has deployed to Iraq, a US Marine Corps spokesman said Thursday.

The 10-aircraft squadron departed Monday aboard the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, from a marine corps air station at New River, North Carolina, said Major Eric Dent.

"Their squadron is deploying to OIF," he said, using the acronym for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Two hundred marines are deploying as part of the seven month combat tour.

He said they will be "basically moving troops, supplies" in the first deployment ever in a combat zone for the aircraft.

Marine corps leaders, who have fiercely defended the MV-22 despite a long and troubled development that included two deadly air crashes in 2000, have been eager to prove it in combat.

With tilt-rotor engines, the ungainly looking plane can take off and land like a helicopter but then fly like a plane.

It is touted as having three times the speed and twice the range of the CH-46, the ageing Vietnam-era medium lift helicopter that it is supposed to replace.

Marine corps leaders say the "quantum leap in technology" gives the aircraft the agility and power to fly troops into combat but also stay above most ground fire on the way there.

It carries up to 24 marines and their equipment.

The marines are planning to acquire some 360 of the aircraft, which cost more than 70 million dollars each and are built jointly by Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing.

The squadron that left Monday is one of three fully operational V-22 Osprey squadrons in the Marine Corps.

Marine Corps Commandant James Conway said in April that it will be based in Al Asad Air base in Iraq's al-Anbar province, where marines are fighting mainly Sunni insurgents.

More here.

DS

[Dick Splash]

http://www.militarytimes.com/multimedia/vi...ds_illustrious/

[Joriko]

When I played GRAW and GRAW 2, I wondered why they weren't using Ospreys instead of Blackhawks. Price probably has a big factor, but the Ghosts are technically SF, right?

[GrimeyAK]

I think it may have to do with the fact that the Ospreys are currently used by the Marines, but the Ghosts are in the Army. But who knows, they probably could get one if they deemed it necessary.

Just thinking of the Osprey reminds me of when I first played Half-Life. Seeing the HECU Marines roping down from Ospreys into combat was plain awesome.

[SnowFella]

Or simply the fact that the Osprey is made to haul up to 24 fully loaded troops and is just that tad bit of an overkill when it comes to inserting a 4 man team.

[krise madsen]

I've read some reports on teh interweb that indicates the Osprey is doing OK and the superior speed and range is appreciated by its "customers".

Respectfully

krise madsen

[Joriko]

I have a question though. Wouldn't a SF squad be on a much larger scale? Shouldn't the Ghosts have 6-8, or even 12-man squads?

Also, in the article, it says the Osprey would mainly be delivering supplies. Couldn't the Ghosts use an Osprey as a Supply Vessel?

Edited February 15, 2008 by Joriko

[krise madsen]

I have a question though. Wouldn't a SF squad be on a much larger scale? Shouldn't the Ghosts have 6-8, or even 12-man squads?

Also, in the article, it says the Osprey would mainly be delivering supplies. Couldn't the Ghosts use an Osprey as a Supply Vessel?

Not necessarily, though others on this forum are far more qualified to answer that. Anyway, the 4-man limit of GRAW is definately not based on what would be the the most realistic team size.

Ãt doesn't really matter if the Osprey would make sense as a Ghost delivery vehicle or not. Maybe they went with the Blackhawk because of the door guns. I would have liked to see the Osprey for no other reason than it's cool, but it doesn't really matter.

Respectfully

krise madsen

[Dick Splash]

Anyway, the 4-man limit of GRAW is definately not based on what would be the the most realistic team size.

You're right....it was based upon what the dev's could handle.

DS

[Joriko]

If they already have three, wouldn't be easy to just script a few more?

[Parabellum]

Or simply the fact that the Osprey is made to haul up to 24 fully loaded troops and is just that tad bit of an overkill when it comes to inserting a 4 man team.

Couldn't similar be said for delivering SF teams in a Chinook or an MH53?

[Guest]

Or simply the fact that the Osprey is made to haul up to 24 fully loaded troops and is just that tad bit of an overkill when it comes to inserting a 4 man team.

Couldn't similar be said for delivering SF teams in a Chinook or an MH53?

Chinooks ($%## hooks) fly farther, faster, and higher than blackhawks.

[JTF-2]

have they figured out how to mount any guns on it yet?? The props are in the way at the moment. Will it ever get mounted machine guns like the Blackhawks, Chinooks, and Ch-53s?

[WhiteKnight77]

On the ramp, just like 53s.

[krise madsen]

have they figured out how to mount any guns on it yet?? The props are in the way at the moment. Will it ever get mounted machine guns like the Blackhawks, Chinooks, and Ch-53s?

So far, only the ramp gun. But BAe is has come up with the Remote Guardian System consisting of a remote controlled camera and a remote controlled 7.62mm Minigun mounted on the belly of the V-22 for 360 deg. coverage.

Source: Defense-Update.com

AFAIK, the system has not been purchased by the Marines yet.

Respectfully

krise madsen

[JTF-2]

On the ramp, just like 53s.

have they figured out how to mount any guns on it yet?? The props are in the way at the moment. Will it ever get mounted machine guns like the Blackhawks, Chinooks, and Ch-53s?

So far, only the ramp gun. But BAe is has come up with the Remote Guardian System consisting of a remote controlled camera and a remote controlled 7.62mm Minigun mounted on the belly of the V-22 for 360 deg. coverage.

Source: Defense-Update.com

AFAIK, the system has not been purchased by the Marines yet.

Respectfully

krise madsen

Cool, thanks guys. I thought they were trying to do without the mounted guns, glad they're not. And that retractable remote minigun looks increadable, but they'll still have to program it not to hit its own propellers.

[krise madsen]

Cool, thanks guys. I thought they were trying to do without the mounted guns, glad they're not. And that retractable remote minigun looks increadable, but they'll still have to program it not to hit its own propellers.

We'll see if they get the minigun system Programming fire arcs into it should be a fairly simple job, probably something it's designed for in the first place.

Minigun or no Minigun, the V-22 actually gives the Marines the exact same problem they faced 40 years ago: Their gunships can't keep up with their transports. Back then, the Sea Stallions outran and outranged the UH-1 Huey gunships by a wide margin. The AH-1 Cobra addressed the problems (to an extent, it didn't exactly fly in circles around the CH-53).

Now, the problem is the same: The V-22 will go much faster and much further than any conventional helicopter. Ideally, they need something that's actually somewhat faster so the gunship can catch up without the V-22 having to slow down. There are quite a lot of funky ideas being tested, including a gunship version of the V-22 (with a new fuselage), a special coaxial rotor helicopter and even a design where the rotor is stopped to act as a wing. Very trippy stuff

Respectfully

krise madsen

[Whistle]

they might have to use harriers or f-35s if they cant get a helo to match the speed.

although after looking it up the max speed of the AH-1z is about 250mph and the cruise speed of the V22 is the same. that could work but itd probably inefficient as hell if hte AH-1s are goin at their max speed and hte v22 is just cruising along.