[tanknetter]

No MEU commander is going to sacrifice 53s or MV-22s for a capability that will probably not be used for routine deployments. Then you have to find space for the support personnel. Makes more sense to put all the support personnel on the C-130 to Rota or Hawaii//Okinawa/Diego Garcia.

Yup, but we're talking about a situation where the planes would be flown ashore as soon as basic airfield (unimproved, roadways, etc) facilities were available to handle them. So we're not talking one MEU but several.

Recall that during Iraqi Freedom the USN/USMC turned one or two LHDs into dedicated "Harrier Carriers" by transferring the helos to other decks and absorbing (I think) the other decks' AV-8B complements. What I'm really talking about is sort of a Doolittle Raid scenario but for CAS.

[Salvavida]

I see what you are saying. But we are looking at two different deployment models. I'm looking for sustained integration into Marine Forces, not a one-shot deal.

Yes, that was 5th MEB off the coast of Kuwait.