V-22s Arrive in Afghanistan (With video)

Aviation Week Ares Blog ^ | 11/6/2009 | Bettina Chavanne

[Yo-Yo]

The U.S. Marine Corps today released video of its V-22 Ospreys arriving in Afghanistan. Ten MV-22s flew from the USS Bataan and are now operating in southern Afghanistan.

The video is of MV-22Bs with the Marine Medium tiltrotor Squadron 263, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit taking off in three waves from the flight deck of the Bataan.

And here is video of the arrival and flight of the first Osprey to be use in Afghanistan.

[Yo-Yo]

[Yo-Yo]

Navair ping.

[Yossarian]

Is it armed, yet?

[dila813]

Wow, I didn’t realize they haven’t used them there.

I can’t imagine why not unless there was a problem with the altitude. It would seem a no brainer to use them there.

[mad_as_he$$]

CV-22 Pave Hammer A modified V-22 Osprey with a gatling gun and hellfire pods. see main article V-22 Osprey.

Of course Dale Brown is the one who made it up for his books.

[mad_as_he$$]

They were used in Iraq in combat situations. There is vodeo out there if you google it.

[ASA Vet]

Ping for it won't fly, and it's death trap posters.

[ASA Vet]

Thought you'd like this thread, since you really got into the naysayers knickers back in 2005.

[magslinger]

SONOBUOY PING!

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[Sequoyah101]

I didn’t think they could get that many of them running at the same time.

[joelt]

USAF has a training unit here in Albuquerque.. They fly right over my house with some regularity... Very cool...

[Pentagon Leatherneck]

Yep, the boys and girls are there in the “Stan. The MEU/263 will turn over the birds to 261, who will operate them for their time in country. First MV-22s to operate there, although AFSOC has passed through before using their CV-22s.

The V-22s will bring faster speed to the forces there, but will see the same challenges helicopters do above 10,000 feet altitude. Very little control/power margin for any rotary wing aircraft at those high DA locations.

TC

[A.A. Cunningham]

VMX-22 began arming their MV-22s back in August of 2006.

071110-M-7404B-024 AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq (Nov. 10, 2007) U.S. Marine Sgt. Danny L. Herrman, a flight line crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263, test fires a 240 Gulf heavy machine gun on the back of a MV-22B Osprey while flying on a mission over the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks (Released)

[A.A. Cunningham]

091106-N-7508R-002 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 6, 2009) An MV-22B Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU), prepares to take off from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). The aircraft were flown to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, where they will be transferred to VMM 261 and used to support the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. This is the first time the aircraft will be used in Afghanistan. The 22nd MEU is serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Julio Rivera/Released)

091106-N-7508R-006 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 6, 2009) An MV-22B Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). The aircraft were flown to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, where they will be transferred to VMM-261 and used to support the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. This is the first time the aircraft will be used in Afghanistan. The 22nd MEU is serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Julio Rivera/Released)

091106-N-7508R-004 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 6, 2009) An Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) prepares to take off from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). The aircraft were flown to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, where they will be transferred to VMM-261 and used to support the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. This is the first time the aircraft will be used in Afghanistan. The 22nd MEU is serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Julio Rivera/Released)

091106-N-8132M-120 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 6, 2009) An MV-22B Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). The aircraft were flown to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, where they will be transferred to VMM-261 and used to support the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. This is the first time the aircraft will be used in Afghanistan. The 22nd MEU is serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kiona Miller/Released)

091106-N-8132M-035 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 6, 2009) An MV-22B Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares to take off from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). The aircraft were flown to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, where they will be transferred to VMM-261 and used to support the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. This is the first time the aircraft will be used in Afghanistan. The 22nd MEU is serving as the theater reserve force for U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kiona Miller/Released)

[happinesswithoutpeace]

great pic

[A.A. Cunningham]

Those were fun threads to be a part of. Although as a result I was removed from quite a few Christmas card lists.

You don't hear much from all of those "experts" these days.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Ospreys Launch From Bataan to Support OEF
Story Number: NNS091108-01
Release Date: 11/8/2009 1:35:00 PM

By Bataan Amphibious Ready Group/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Public Affairs

USS BATAAN, At sea (NNS) -- The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) launched 10 MV-22B Ospreys from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to fly into Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Nov. 6, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The aircraft, part of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), will be transferred to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 and serve as part of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade's Aviation Combat Element.

The 22nd MEU was the first Marine Expeditionary Unit to conduct a ship-based deployment with the tiltrotor aircraft. VMM-263 (Rein) attached to the MEU in September, 2008, and was also the first squadron to deploy with the aircraft to Iraq in 2007.

"It is a great honor for us to support 2nd MEB, and we are proud to be the first unit to bring this aircraft into Afghanistan," said Col. Gareth F. Brandl, 22nd MEU commanding officer. "We have spent more than a year working with the MV-22B and know that the added capabilities this aircraft brings will benefit the Marines currently engaged against the enemy."

"This historic mission has been one of the highlights of our deployment," said Capt. Sam Howard, Bataan's commanding officer. "We did all we could to make sure they had all the material and logistic support necessary to have a safe and successful fly-off."

The Ospreys launched in three waves making the 510 nautical mile flight in just over two hours. During the aircraft's first amphibious deployment, it flew in support of theater security cooperation events in three countries, including U.S. Central Command's largest exercise, Bright Star 2009 in Egypt.

The Osprey was also used to conduct multiple medical evacuations from ship to shore and was employed to conduct logistics flights to Rota, Spain; Naval Air Station, Sigonella (Sicily); Djibouti, Africa and Bahrain. For more than a month, the squadron supported desert training when the MEU trained ashore in Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

"The men and women of the squadron performed admirably in support of this mission," said Lt. Col. Paul P. Ryan, commanding officer of VMM-263. "I am convinced that this weapon system will serve the operating forces well for decades to come."

Ryan added that the MEU has learned a great deal about operating with the Osprey and has captured lessons learned throughout the deployment to support future tiltrotor squadrons as they begin to deploy with other MEUs.

The 22nd MEU, led by Brandl, is a scalable, multipurpose force of more than 2,200 Marines and Sailors. The unit is composed of its Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment; Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced); Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22 and its Command Element.

The Bataan ARG is composed of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), the amphibious transport dock USS Ponce (LPD 15), the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22, Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 6, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2, ACU 4 and Beachmaster Unit (BMU) 2.

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, with the 22nd MEU embarked, deployed May 13, 2009 to conduct maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations.