Information_Paper

Subject: The V22 Osprey and the USMC 1. Purpose. To educate Classmates on the development and use of the V22 by the USMC 2. Executive Summary. The V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tilt rotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. 3. Discussion. a. The failure of the Iran hostage rescue mission in 1980 demonstrated to the United States military a need for "a new type of aircraft, that could not only take off and land vertically but also could carry combat troops, and do so at speed." The U.S. Department of Defense began the Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) aircraft program in 1981, under U.S. Army leadership. The U.S. Navy/Marine Corps was given the lead in 1983. The JVX combined requirements from the Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and Navy. In addition the United States Air Force has their version. b. Fixed wing aircraft have the advantage of speed, cruise altitude and range when compared to helicopters, Similarly, helicopters are agile and are capable of carrying out flight maneuvers impossible for fixed wing aircraft. The V-22 Osprey is a tilt rotor aircraft with a mixed capability of both a fixed wing aircraft and a helicopter which allows it to operate as both. This gives it an advantage over both types of flying machines. This benefit was what the United States Marine Corps (USMC) was looking for that led to the development of the Osprey. c. With the development of Osprey the USMC was trying to develop a vehicle that would increase its standoff advantage during military assaults, which means being able to attack the enemy from a distance while simultaneously hampering the ability of the defending forces to attack the invading fleet at sea. In this kind of operation, range, maneuverability and payload of an aircraft are deciding factors in determining the side with a continuously attacking front line. The hybrid nature of a tilt rotor aircraft’s combination of range and payload would enable ships involved in an amphibious assault to remain several miles from the beach, while the Osprey delivered troops and material for the invasion. d. In addition to the amphibious assault capabilities, the V-22 are also required to take troop lift and external cargo lift in land assault operations by the USMC. The V-22 can carry 24 fully equipped marines, cruise at speeds of 317 Mph, and has a top speed of 350 Mph. e. Marine Corps crew training on the Osprey has been conducted since March 2000. On 3 June 2005, the Marine Corps helicopter squadron Marine Medium Helicopter 263 (HMM-263), stood down to begin the process of transitioning to the MV-22 Osprey. unit reactivated on 3 March 2006 as the first MV-22 squadron and was redesignated Medium Tiltrotor Squadron VMM-263. f. The Osprey has been replacing existing CH-46 Sea Knight squadrons. The MV-22 reached initial operational capability (IOC) with the U.S. Marine Corps on 13 June 2007. g. On 13 April 2007, the U.S. Marine Corps announced that it would be sending ten V-22 aircraft to Iraq, the Osprey's first combat deployment. h. The Osprey has provided support in Iraq, logging 2,000 flight hours over three months with a mission capable rate of 68.1% as of late-January 2008. They are primarily used in Iraq's western Anbar province for routine cargo and troop movements, and also for riskier "aero-scout" missions. i. The only major problem has been obtaining spare parts to maintain the aircraft.] The V-22 had flown 3,000 sorties totaling 5,200 hours in Iraq as of July 2008. The Osprey has been praised for the increased speed and range over the legacy helicopters in Iraq. j. A Government Accountability Office study reported that by January 2009 the Marines had 12 MV-22s operating in Iraq and they completed all assigned missions. The same report found that the V-22 deployments had mission capable rates averaging 57% to 68% and an overall full mission capable rate of only 6%. It also stated that the aircraft had shown weakness in situational awareness, maintenance, shipboard operations and the ability to transport troops and external cargo. That study also concluded that the "deployments confirmed that the V-22’s enhanced speed and range enable personnel and internal cargo to be transported faster and farther than is possible with the legacy helicopters it is replacing". Naval Air Systems Command hopes to reach a 85% reliability rate by 2018.# k. The MV-22 has been deployed to Afghanistan in November 2009 and saw its first offensive combat mission, Operation Cobra's Anger, on 4 December 2009. Ospreys assisted in inserting 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan troops into the Now Zad Valley of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan to disrupt communication and supply lines of the Taliban. In January 2010 the MV-22 Osprey was sent to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response relief efforts after the earthquake there, the aircraft's first humanitarian mission. l. The Marines have found that the V-22's speed and range make it a good operational match for fast jets. The service has therefore split Marine Expeditionary Unit operations into two groups with fast jets and V-22s in one group and helicopters in the other.# m. In March 2011 two MV-22s from the USS Kearsarge participated in a mission to rescue a downed USAF F-15E crew member during Operation Odyssey Dawn. This was one of the first times that a USMC Osprey was used in a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP).