DTN News - MV-22 OSPREY NEWS: Osprey On Duty in The Philippines
Source: DTN News (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 3, 2013: An MV-22 Osprey prepares for takeoff for a night low-altitude training mission on Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Philippines, Jan. 24, 2013.
The crew, which is conducting day and night low-altitude training, is assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
The MV-22 Osprey’s mission for the U.S. Marine Corps is the transportation of troops, equipment, and supplies from ships and land bases for combat assault and assault support.
Description
The MV-22B Osprey is a tiltrotor V/STOL aircraft designed as the medium-lift replacement for the CH-46E Sea Knight assault support helicopter. The Osprey can operate as a helicopter or a turboprop aircraft and offers twice the speed, six times the range, and three times the payload of the CH-46E.
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the MV-22B was declared in June 2007. The Osprey had three successful combat deployments in Iraq from October 2007 to April 2009 with VMM-263, VMM-162 and VMM-266 respectively. VMM-263 embarked on the first MV-22 shipboard deployment with the Bataan Ready Group in May 2009 as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
On Mar. 28, 2008, NAVAIR awarded a five-year, $10.3 billion dollar contract to Bell- Boeing for 141 MV-22 Ospreys for the Marine Corps and 26 CV-22 Ospreys for the Air Force Special Operations Command. It is the first multi-year procurement contract for the Osprey program, covering purchases in FY08-12. The deal saves the taxpayers $427 million and reduces risk to the government by establishing cost ceilings. It also provides program stability that supports both services’ needs to field new and better capabilities, and in the Marine Corps case, retire old aircraft.
*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith DTN News
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