Special Ops Osprey Squadron Certified "initial operation capable"

Magnolia · 03-19-2009, 19:56

Didn't see this posted anywhere and would be very interested in hearing the initial impressions of those in the SF community regarding the projected deployment of the CV-22 to Afghanistan later this year.

Special Ops Osprey Squadron Ready for Action
By Nathan Hodge l March 16, 2009 | 1:02:42 PM

The CV-22, the special operations version of the controversial Osprey tiltrotor, is now ready to take on combat missions for the first time.

Capt. Laura Ropelis, an Air Force Special Operations Command spokeswoman, confirmed to DANGER ROOM that the first CV-22 squadron was certified "initial operation capable" as of this month. Translated into plain English, that means the CV-22 can now be employed effectively as a weapons system (and that "full" capability may be declared further down the road).

It's a milestone that's been almost thirty years in the making. The requirements for the CV-22 emerged in part from the lessons of Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The CV-22 is customized for commando missions (long-range infiltration, extraction and resupply) and can fly much farther and faster than any helicopter. In theory, an Osprey-type aircraft would have allowed planners to attempt the mission in one pass, rather than orchestrating the complex landing-and-refueling mission that led to the debacle at Desert One.

The special operations community has already put the new machines through their paces in exercises. The aircraft also took part in a real-world operation, assisting the Coast Guard last year in a freighter rescue during Hurricane Ike; Ospreys of Air Force Special Operations Command also took part in Flintlock 2008, a joint military exercise in West Africa last November.

Incidentally, the Marine Corps version of the bird, the MV-22, has already seen service in Iraq; the Marines are now weighing whether to send the aircraft to Afghanistan later this year.

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/0...ps-osprey.html

Alterflow · 03-19-2009, 20:12

Well they used it in transformers to fight the decepticons, what more do you need?

**Ambush Master** · 03-19-2009, 20:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alterflow

Well they used it in transformers to fight the decepticons, what more do you need?

SPORT,

I hope that you are truly aware, that you are not launching into a "Video-Gameroom" World!! At this point in your life/career, you had best be focusing on the 25m Target and be leaving the wisecracks to others!!

Good Luck!!
Martin

mcarey · 03-19-2009, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

SPORT,

I hope that you are truly aware, that you are not launching into a "Video-Gameroom" World!! At this point in your life/career, you had best be focusing on the 25m Target and be leaving the wisecracks to others!!

Good Luck!!
Martin

Martin, He has obviously passed the team room banter and sarcastic comment block of instruction....should fit in well on a team (in teamroom) may not be deployable, just like the CV-22.

Alterflow · 03-19-2009, 20:49

I was unaware that kidding was not allowed on these boards. I would hope that we can all assume I know the transformers do not exist.... I am a grown man.

**Ambush Master** · 03-19-2009, 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alterflow

I was unaware that kidding was not allowed on these boards. I would hope that we can all assume I know the transformers do not exist.... I am a grown man.

Levity has it's place. Try here: http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...splay.php?f=50

When subjects appear in here that are of a "serious nature", then that is the way they should be addressed. The exceptions to this, are when the subject is absurd...... as for the grown man, I think that that will be proven in the future!!

Take care.
Martin

caveman · 03-20-2009, 03:40

I've seen several marine ospreys here and while I can't comment on their combat effectiveness, I must admit, they are pretty cool lookin'.

Defender968 · 03-20-2009, 17:05

I haven't flown in one personally, but I was stationed near Lubbock while they were being tested (and all those folks were dying during said testing), and I've talked to a few Osprey pilots, all that being said I'm no expert, but I can tell you I personally have no desire to fly in one of those things, the tilt feature appears inherently unsafe to me, that combined with the fact that it cannot land like a plane makes me very wary of it. Don't get me wrong I hope it works out as a military aircraft, and I will admit many of the pilots I've spoken with who fly it like it and assured me it was safe, but I'd still much rather fly in either a plane or a helo of any type than that bastard of the two.

Just my .02 though

Surgicalcric · 03-20-2009, 17:50

Having both flown in and fast roped out of them I can without a doubt say I pray to the God that I never have to fast rope from one again... It took two 55 lb ruck sacks weighing down the end of the rope to get it at anything greater than a 45 degree angle so we could exit the darned thing...

Not a fun few ropes thats for sure...

Crip

**Team Sergeant** · 03-20-2009, 18:05

One of my all time favorite Marine sayings:

(Place Marine unit here

_______ Special Operations "Capable".

And this was from 15 years ago when there were no Marine S.O..

But they were capable!

Team Sergeant

Pete S · 03-20-2009, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surgicalcric

Having both flown in and fast roped out of them I can without a doubt say I pray to the God that I never have to fast rope from one again... It took two 55 lb ruck sacks weighing down the end of the rope to get it at anything greater than a 45 degree angle so we could exit the darned thing...

Not a fun few ropes thats for sure...

Crip

Hellhole or ramp?

I haven't had a chance to work with them.

A family member is a lobbyist for Boeing that worked with the Osprey program.
He had "interesting" things to say about it.

Dozer523 · 03-21-2009, 04:33

Yup.

kgoerz · 03-21-2009, 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surgicalcric

Having both flown in and fast roped out of them I can without a doubt say I pray to the God that I never have to fast rope from one again... It took two 55 lb ruck sacks weighing down the end of the rope to get it at anything greater than a 45 degree angle so we could exit the darned thing...

Not a fun few ropes thats for sure...

Crip

We have have an Ex Force Recon Marine on our Team here. He said exactly the same about flying and Fast Roping out of these. Oh, if the tilt feature fails and it is forced to land like a regular Airplane. The Props are designed to break away upon contact with the ground, see its perfectly safe

sleepyhead4 · 03-21-2009, 18:24

I had the opportunity to work with these down in Florida few months back. And as Crip pointed it out, fast roping out of this thing is a trip. Unless you have two people on the rope at all times, you won't be doing a vertical fast rope. I felt like I was actually going parallel to the ground when I was the only one on the rope...

However, it has its advantages. It's fast...faster than you'd expect. I felt like I was in a jet when it started accelerating and turning. The G's it can put on your body is amazing. As for other advantages and disadvantages, I'll keep that info to myself since I don't know if it is OPSEC. Last thing I can say is that it's definitely smaller than the MH/CH47. You're not doing any rapids out of these.

Mitch · 03-22-2009, 00:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgoerz

We have have an Ex Force Recon Marine on our Team here. He said exactly the same about flying and Fast Roping out of these. Oh, if the tilt feature fails and it is forced to land like a regular Airplane. The Props are designed to break away upon contact with the ground, see its perfectly safe

Not to mention that it has the same glide ratio features as a brick - that forced landing better be on a nice long runway.