Posted on 07/12/2007 4:29:51 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
Welcome aboard!
Saw one fly past Fort Walton Beach, Fla. last week while on vacation...way cool!
Cool. Now the brits should get in line to buy some V-22s of their own.
TC
Looks like they will need bigger ships! LOL!
Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
This is a medium volume pinglist.
...yes or one very similiar. Were you there last week?
No! I wish. I just know where to find the pictures, that is by the way, Ft. Walton Beach. You might even be in that picture looking up.
...excellent area to live! I reside in N.E. Ohio. Very good friends of ours live in Destin, Fla. We are currently looking for some property down there to build a winter home.
Man, some awsome looking women down there!!!!!
...did I say that out loud? Opps!
Only if he was there back in March when that picture was taken.
While the Osprey is a neat machine, what roll does it play that isn’t filled by more specialized machines.
Stay clear of that thing! Its going to break and kill people.
Errr how about the get the flock out of Dodge role, A role sadly Today's CH-46s and CH-53s are woefully inadequate for.
Judging from the size of the flight deck - they could do nicely with three if they packed them in real tight.
The Osprey is twice as fast, can carry twice as much, and fly more than twice as far as the 53’s and 46’s.
This thing is changing the Marine’s war fighting doctrine.
Isn’t this a rather unusual exercise? I could see an aircraft or 2 for familiarization, but embarking an entire Marine Air detachment?
The Marines are replacing aging Phrogs on a one-for-one basis with MV-22s. The Osprey carries 24 Marines at 250 knots and almost any altitude you want to fly at, for 500 miles. It can aerial refuel, so you can fly as far as your bladder allows.
VMM-263, the first operational MV-22 squadron, deploys soon from New River for Iraq.
TC
The US Navy is seeking to gain support for a demonstration of the Thales Cerberus maritime surveillance radar for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, potentially expanding the role of the US Marine Corps and US Air Force tiltrotor programme beyond the transport mission.
The so-called totally organic sensor system (TOSS) would demonstrate that the Westland Sea King 7’s Cerberus airborne surveillance and control sensor could be modularised and installed on a wide range of navy and USMC aircraft, starting with the V-22.
The UK Royal Navy would be a joint participant in the TOSS joint concept technology demonstration, if the project is approved.
The US Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command is still searching for a second service to sponsor the project to make the project eligible for a “joint” funding programme, says Ken Moritz, a business development director for Bell Boeing.
Moving forward with the programme would mark a re-awakening of the USN’s active interest in the V-22 programme. A few years ago, the navy officially dropped a long-term strategy to replace its Grumman C-2 carrier on-board delivery fleet with a version of the tiltrotor called the HV-22.
With the USMC reluctant to divert any aircraft in its fleet for maritime surveillance, the project is a potential opportunity to drive additional sales of the V-22 for the maritime surveillance role, Moritz says. The USN is interested in using Cerberus-equipped V-22s for the expeditionary strike group mission.
The TOSS project also seeks to develop a modular kit for several additional types of US military aircraft.
So far, the Cerberus radar is not a part of the upgrade roadmap for the V-22. The Block B model, which adds a ramp gun, hoist, refuelling probe and reliability improvements, has been finalised.
The Block C configuration remains in the definition stage, with proposals to add an internal gun embedded in the fuselage, a new radar and an improved environmental control system.
The navy also has identified a requirement for a Block D upgrade programme, focusing initially on integrating the assault directed infrared countermeasures suite.
Is that the FRepublic official flat-top....?
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