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Aviators from the U.S. Marine Corps completed the integrated test phase of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) program Jan. 5, firing five rounds against stationary and moving targets. All five shots hit their intended targets within 2 meters of the laser designator’s spot. In the final series of shots in integrated testing, five laser-guided rockets were fired from a variety of distances from a Marine AH-1W Cobra helicopter. Four of the shots were against moving targets traveling at a range of speeds, while the fifth shot was against a stationary target board. The program now moves into an...

During Operation Cobra’s Anger in early December 2009 — in which 1,000 U.S. Marines and a handful of Afghan soldiers — stormed the Now Zad valley in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, the Corps hit a major milestone. It was the first time the controversial tiltrotar V-22 Osprey was used in a combat situation. The operation was conducted in keeping with coalition chief Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s counterinsurgency guidance, in which major population centers must be cleared of Taliban influence, with coalition soldiers moving in to small outposts in neighborhoods, much like the “Surge” in Iraq in 2007-2008. The assault kicked off...

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.

Shot down five times, he received Navy Cross medals during World War II and the Korean War. Injuries suffered in the Vietnam War forced him to retire after 27 years of service.

Retired Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser, called the most decorated Marine aviator in history and was shot down in three wars, has died at age 89. Reusser flew 253 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam and was shot down in all three, five times in all. His 59 medals included two Navy Crosses, four Purple Hearts and two Legions of Merit. In 1945, while based in Okinawa, he stripped down his F4U-4 Corsair fighter and intercepted a Japanese observation plane at a high altidude. When his guns froze, he flew his fighter into the observation plane,...

CLACKAMAS -- They came by ones and twos Friday, quietly slipping into the pews at New Hope Community Church. They smiled at the words honoring a man whose faith made him an inspiration and whose exploits in three wars made him a hero. And when the last mournful drone of the bagpipes faded, they said goodbye to Col. Kenneth L. Reusser of Milwaukie, the most decorated U.S. Marine Corps aviator in history. "He was the finest gentleman I've ever met," said Harley Wedel of Fairview, a fellow Korean War veteran. "I'm really going to miss him." Reusser flew an amazing...

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2009 – After three successful combat deployments over more than 19 consecutive months, Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys will begin a global deployment with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, a senior Marine aviation official said yesterday. “The Marine Corps views these first three deployments of the Osprey into combat as marvelously successful,” Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman III, deputy commandant of aviation, said during a “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable. “The aircraft completed every assigned mission, and it did so flying faster, farther, and with safer flight profiles than any other assault support aircraft in the history of military...

A Miramar based AH-1 Cobra went down near Pine Valley, between San Diego and El Centro. Both crewmembers have died. Recovery is hampered by exploding ordnance and the remote terrain.

In this file photo, MV-22 Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-162 land in Amman, Jordan, July 22, 2008. The deployment of the MV-22 Osprey in Operation Iraqi Freedom is coming to a close as the final Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron prepares to head home this spring. Photo by Cpl. George Papastrat, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. AL ASAD AIR BASE — The presence of the MV-22 Osprey in Operation Iraqi Freedom is coming to a close as the final Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron prepares to head home this spring. The Marines of Marine Medium Tilt-rotor squadron (VMM)-266, also known as the...

Harriers - 40 years old and still jumping 07:01 GMT, March 18, 2009 Few aircraft can be described as truly iconic, fewer still remain in service over long periods, but this year the British-designed Harrier celebrates its 40th birthday, having spent the past five years as a mainstay on operations in Afghanistan. And the Harrier really is unique - no other jet in service has its Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) capability where pilots can land on shortened runways, carrier decks or on landing pads in the middle of a forest. Developed during the Cold War, the Harrier has continually...

Deferred maintenance, faulty decisions by controllers and the pilot of a fighter jet contributed to an aircraft's fatal crash into a San Diego, California, neighborhood in December, the Marine Corps announced Tuesday. The commander of the fighter squadron involved in the crash, its top maintenance officer and two others have been relieved of duty as a result of the crash investigation. The pilot has been grounded pending a further review, Maj. Gen. Randolph Alles announced. Grace Yoon, 15 months, was killed after a military jet crashed into her home.

On the flight deck of the amphibious ship Bataan, the hybrid aircraft known as the V-22 Osprey has taken roost. Lined up on the deck with its wings folded, the tilt-rotor aircraft hides its unique gift - it lifts off and hovers like a helicopter and flies like a plane.Almost 20 years after its first test flight, and a decade since two fatal crashes grounded it, the Osprey is poised for its first full deployment with a Navy amphibious group.Marines and sailors are now training with about 10 Ospreys aboard the Norfolk-based Bataan, off the coast of North Carolina, doing...

The man who on Monday lost his wife, two daughters and mother-in-law in the San Diego jet fighter crash says he doesn't blame the pilot, who "did everything he could" to avoid the disaster. Don Yoon, 37, yesterday visited the remains of his home in the suburb of University City. His Cather Avenue house was completely destroyed when a F/A-18D Hornet lost power in both engines while trying to land at nearby Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. The pilot - named as Lt Dan Neubauer of Marine Corps Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 - ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries...

Midland, Texas - It was a big night at Midland International Airport where marine helicopter units and a local soldier were welcomed home.

link only copy right http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3832790&c=AME&s=AIR

Air Force Lt. Col. Darryl Sheets has been a pilot for 13 years, but when he switched to the new Osprey troop and cargo carrier, "it was like learning how to fly all over again." Even if you're just along for the ride, like civilians who got a demonstration Wednesday morning, the CV-22 Osprey takes some getting used to. Especially at the moment of truth, when this one-of-a-kind, helicopter-airplane hybrid switches from one mode of flight to the other - in midair. Critics disagree, but the Pentagon insists it worked out all the bugs for pilots such as Sheets during...

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2008 – The MV-22 Osprey has proven itself in Iraq, and Marine officials are applying the lessons learned in the first operational deployment of the tilt-rotor aircraft to current operations. From left: U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman, Lt. Col. Paul Rock, Capt. Sara Faibisoff and Sgt. Danny Herrman answer questions about the initial combat deployment of the MV-22 Osprey during a press briefing at the Pentagon, May 2, 2008. All four Marines participated in the Marine Corps' first operational Osprey squadron. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess...

Osprey documentary to air Web-posted Sunday, April 6, 2008 The Military Channel will premiere a one-hour documentary on the V-22 Osprey at 9 p.m. today. Much of the film is about VMM-263, the first operational Osprey combat squadron, but it also presents an overview of the Osprey program from its inception. The V-22 is produced under an industry partnership between Bell Helicopter and Boeing. Final assembly is completed in Amarillo. - Globe-News staff

The Department of Defense has awarded Bell Helicopter and partner The Boeing Co. a five-year, $10.4 billion contract to make 167 V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The contract includes 26 CV-22 aircraft for the Air Force Special Operations Command and 141 MV-22 aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps. The contract includes an option for additional aircraft. The fuselage for the V-22 is built by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems in Philadelphia. Bell builds components for the aircraft in Fort Worth and completes final assembly at its Military Aircraft Assembly Center in Amarillo. The V-22 is a tiltrotor aircraft with proprotors and engines installed...

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - Britain's Rolls-Royce Plc (RR.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and officials at the V-22 program office are continuing discussions about future orders for up to 900 engines for the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft after news that the engines are wearing out faster than expected. The two sides met again last Friday, but both sides have been tight-lipped about the discussions and whether any progress has been made, according to the V-22 program office. "Discussions are ongoing between the government and Rolls-Royce and we continue to try to work toward a solution that's in the best interest of the...

An MV-22 Osprey, belonging to Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 263, sits on the deck waiting for members of the 27th Infantry Brigade, 7th Iraqi Infantry Division and Marines with Military in Transition team 0720 to load up after a heli-borne operation. Photo by 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) Public Affairs. AL-ANBAR PROVINCE — As Coalition forces continue to operate throughout the Iraqi countryside, training the Iraqi security forces (ISF) to stand on their own two feet becomes an increasingly familiar scene. Third Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) does its own part in the transition process by participating in training operations...

Lockheed Martin's first F-35B short take-off and vertical landing Joint Strike Fighter has rolled off the final assembly line at Fort Worth, Texas to enter ground testing that will lead to a first flight scheduled for May 2008. The roll-out was attended by representatives of the customers for the STOVL version of the F-35 Lightning II: the US Marine Corps, UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy and the Italian air force and navy.Marine Corps Commandant Gen James Conway said the supersonic STOVL JSF will "enable us to operate a fleet of fighter/attack aircraft from the decks of ships, existing runways or unimproved...

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey might be getting more firepower. The aircraft, which is currently making its combat-zone debut in Iraq, has the ability to hover like a helicopter and fly like a fixed-wing aircraft. It is meant to replace CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, the Corps’ aging workhorse. Ospreys come equipped with a gun at the ramp in the rear of the aircraft, but they might also get a gun with a 360-degree field of fire, said Marine Lt. Gen. John G. Castellaw. “One of the options would be to install within what we call the ‘hell-hole’ —...

The Americans Are Coming! MV-22 Osprey Makes First Landing On British Carrier Wed, 11 Jul '07 Marines, UK Forces Prepare For Joint Exercise Off Eastern US Ahead of a US-led Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFX) on the Eastern seaboard of the United States, the HMS Illustrious welcomed the very first embarkation of a US Marine Corps Bell/Boeing MV-22 Osprey onto the Royal Navy aircraft carrier Wednesday. It is the first time an Osprey has landed on a non-US vessel. Portions Copyright © 1999-2007 by Aero-News Network, Inc. All rights reserved. Representatives with the UK's Ministry of Defense tell ANN the...

The truth about the Osprey By: COL. GLENN WALTERS - commentary Unlike most of the V-22 critics, I have actually flown the MV-22 Osprey. I flew hundreds of hours in this remarkable aircraft when I commanded the Marine Corps' test and evaluation squadron 2003-2006, and I am obliged to tell the truth. The truth is the Osprey is the most thoroughly tested aircraft in the history of aviation for one fundamental reason: the safety of its passengers. Our nation expects that the military will use the best engineered, maintained and operated equipment available. Our troops deserve it. The Osprey we...

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- A CV-22 Osprey assigned to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB participated in the aircraft's first search and recovery mission, responding to the fatal crash of a medical aircraft in the mountains of southern Colorado. Airport officials lost contact with the Arizona-based Beechcraft King Air airplane at 11:22 p.m. on Oct. 4 as the air ambulance headed toward San Luis Regional Medical Center while responding to a medical call. At about 9:15 a.m. Oct. 5, the Air Force Rescue Center contacted Kirtland Air Force Base with a call to help at...

070929-N-1189B-196 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Sept. 29, 2007) - An MV-22 "Osprey" attached to Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron (VMM) 263 takes to the air from the flight deck of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp is on a surge deployment bringing the Osprey on its first combat deployment to the Middle East. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary L. Borden (RELEASED) 070929-N-1189B-126 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Sept. 29, 2007) - An MV-22 "Osprey" attached to Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron (VMM) 263 takes to the air from the flight deck of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship...

(Click on the picture for a bigger better view of the HMH-362 crew)AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 12, 2007) -- A Marine Corps heavy lift squadron with an already rich legacy has added a notch to its belt with another historic achievement. Aircraft 23, a CH-53D “Sea Stallion” flown by the Marines of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, is the first aircraft of its type in the Corps to reach 10,000 flight hours. “I think this is a phenomenal landmark,” said Lt. Col. Brian Cavanaugh, the commanding officer of HMH-362. “It’s the first aircraft to do it. We also have the...

Chips are down, and so is V-22 By WILLIAM BENDER, wbender@delcotimes.com 02/10/2007 A computer chip problem has popped up in Boeing's V-22 Osprey. Months ahead of its scheduled deployment, the V-22 Osprey has been temporarily grounded due to a computer chip that couldn’t stand the cold. The problem was detected in the flight control computers of "some" Ospreys, according to a statement released Friday by Marine Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C. As a result, all of the Marines’ MV-22s and Air Force’s CV-22s - less than 60 altogether -- have been grounded until the chips can be replaced. "Testing...

It's hard to imagine an American weapons program so fraught with problems that Dick Cheney would try repeatedly to cancel it — hard, that is, until you get to know the Osprey. As Defense Secretary under George H.W. Bush, Cheney tried four times to kill the Marine Corps's ungainly tilt-rotor aircraft. Four times he failed. Cheney found the arguments for the combat troop carrier unpersuasive and its problems irredeemable. "Given the risk we face from a military standpoint, given the areas where we think the priorities ought to be, the V-22 is not at the top of the list," he...

A squadron of tiltrotors for the US Special Operations Command may enter service in Iraq far in advance of the type's planned in-service date of early fiscal year 2009. The first deployment of Bell Boeing CV-22s may be accelerated to replace an ageing fleet of Sikorksy MH-53 Pave Lows currently used by air force special operations units for transport and search-and-rescue missions, US Air Force chief of staff Gen Michael Moseley said on 26 September. The CV-22 could be deployed in "pre-initial operational capability" status to provide the vertical lift mission, he said, addressing the Air Force Association's annual convention...

The oddest-looking member of the Edwards Air Force Base test fleet is about to leave after successfully completing its test and evaluation program. The CV-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft, a cross between a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane. The hybrid aircraft is in a class by itself, combining the small-field landing and hovering capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and distance of an airplane. "At this point the CV-22 program is graduating from the test and evaluation phase to the operational test phase," Steve Sisterman, director of the integrated test team, said Wednesday, as the CV-22 made one...

WASHINGTON -- The first combat squadron of tilt-rotor V-22 Ospreys has been quietly deployed to Iraq, ushering a new form of aerial technology into 21st Century warfare. A Marine Corps aviation squadron and 10 Ospreys left for Iraq on Monday aboard the U.S.S. Wasp, a small Navy aircraft carrier known as an amphibious assault ship, said Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Eric Dent. The departure from the Marine Air Station at New River, N.C., was made under extremely tight security with no advance notice to the media and no ceremonial speeches by Marine Corps officials. "It was just another workday for...

A squadron of MV-22 Ospreys will be operating out of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station starting today. The Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron will be training at the base until Sept. 8. People in the area can expect to see the aircraft flying around the area. The Osprey is the military's first tilt-rotor production aircraft. It can go from flying horizontally at 200 mph to landing vertically like a helicopter in 45 seconds, carrying up to 24 people at a time.

Sergeant Christopher R. Cales, Cpl. William T. Ryder and Cpl. Warren Douglas, all with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26’s Aviation Information Systems Department, repair a computer. The Marines and their equipment serve an important communications role in the operation of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Photo by: Cpl. James D. HamelMALS-26 AISD is network problem ‘dragon slayer’ AL ASAD, Iraq (Nov. 25, 2005) -- Like many bases in Al Anbar, Iraq, Al Asad is heavily reliant on working communications to accomplish its mission, the support of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. While it has many small sections and even...