V-22 OSPREY UPDATE

A reader writes:

". . . it's a nice "whiz-bang NEATO!" thing but still after ALL THESE YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT ISN'T SAFE. FAA won't approve them for Civil Aviation for all their design faults."

Why the V-22 Osprey is Unsafe.



"Yes the wing rotates and things fold BUT:

V-22 Lies Exposed

"G2mil's March article, V-22 Alternatives describes why V-22s are not shipboard compatible. This has been known by those profiting from the V-22 program for a decade. This is why they avoided deploying V-22s with naval task forces. However, all the CH-46Es have been retired from the East Coast, so V-22s were forced to deploy last month with the 22nd MEU. They deployed only 10, rather than the standard 12 with the CH-46E, because V-22s are twice their size."

Read the rest of Tom's insightful analysis here.


Sean Linnane write: Thanks for this info, Tom. I was aware of the controversy surrounding the V-22, from the inception of the military program, but not in such detail. In late 2007 I observed a large number of MV-22's in the air and on the airstrip at Camp Lejeune, NC. At that time my impression was 'Thank God I'm retiring and will never be forced to get onto one of those science fiction-looking eggbeaters.'

There's a standard line the military aviators always say about the Airborne: "I don't know why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane."

Let me say it proud and say it loud: I am not an aviator, I am Airborne. I ride around in birds I don't fly them, and always, always, ALWAYS I prefer to jump out of them rather than land in them.

V-22 OSPREY

Yesterday I watched eight of these babies land at Camp MacKall Airfield, NC - it was like a scene out of a science fiction movie.



I was aware that the idea of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft with helicopter-like rotors at the wingtips is not new, but I had no idea that the concept originated in the 1930s.









On second thought I guess this makes sense when you consider all the Buck Rogers gee-whizbang coolness they were throwing around back then . . .








The first design resembling modern tiltrotors was patented by George Lehberger in May 1930, but he did not further develop the concept. In World War II, a German prototype, called the Focke-Achgelis FA-269 was developed starting in 1942, but never flew.


The Bell XV-3 - first flown on 11 August 1955 - was a tiltrotor aircraft developed by Bell Helicopter for a joint research program between the United States Air Force and the United States Army. the XV-3 had the engines in the fuselage and drive shafts transferring power out to tilting wingtip rotor assemblies. It was fitted with ejection seats; they were never needed but would have fired downward. (YIPES ! ! ! - S.L.)


XV-15 in takeoff mode.

What was to ultimately become the XV-15 originated in 1971 as a concept at NASA Ames Research Center. The first of two Bell XV-15s first flew on May 3, 1977.

Force Recon Marines conduct military freefall (HALO) ops from an Osprey.

The aircraft designation "V-22 Osprey" was given on 15 January 1985. The USMC variant received the MV-22 designation and the Air Force variant received CV-22. This was reversed from normal procedure to prevent Marine Ospreys from having similar designations as aircraft carriers (CV). Full-scale development of the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft began in 1986. The first V-22 was rolled out in May 1988. The initial operators are the United States Marine Corps and Air Force; the Army left the program citing a need to focus its budget on more immediate aviation programs.

On 17 September 2007, ten MV-22Bs of VMM-263 deployed for Iraq aboard the USS Wasp. They are primarily used in Iraq's western Anbar province for routine cargo and troop movements, and also for riskier "aero-scout" missions. The V-22 flew 3,000 sorties, racking up 5,200 hours in Iraq as of July 2008. USMC leadership expect to deploy MV-22s to Afghanistan in 2009.

OK let me kill two myths right here - the V-22 Osprey CAN fold for compact storage (for maritime operations) . . .

For compact storage and transport, the V-22's wing rotates to align, front-to-back, with the fuselage.

. . . and it IS possible to fastrope the Osprey:


AFSOC Operators Fast Rope and Hoist out CV-22 Osprey, Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Operational Units:

United States Air Force

o 8th Special Operations Squadron (8 SOS) at Hurlburt Field, Florida
o 71st Special Operations Squadron (71 SOS) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
o 20th Special Operations Squadron (20 SOS) at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico

United States Marine Corps

o VMM-162
o VMM-261
o VMM-263
o VMM-264
o VMM-266
o VMM-365
o VMMT-204 - Training squadron
o VMX-22 - Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron

FIRST SPECIAL FORCES GROUP

Beret flash and crest of First Special Forces Group (Airborne). The yellow denotes "Asian Gold", the black border was added to mourn the death of President John F. Kennedy, who officially recognized the Green Beret as unit distinctive headgear.





The First Special Forces Group (Airborne) was activated 20 July 1942 at Helena, Montana as Second Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, First Special Service Force. This joint Canada-American unit, known as the “Devil’s Brigade”, was intensively trained in airborne, amphibious, winter, and mountain warfare.
The soldiers of the 1st SFF distinguished themselves through daring and successful raids in both the Pacific and Mediterranean Theaters.
The Force incurred so many casualties that it became ineffective as a combat formation, and was disbanded 6 January 1945 at Menton, France.






Although not recognized in Army lineage, Detachment 101 of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) is also considered a predecessor of 1st Special Forces Group. This unit raised and led a guerrilla force known as the “Kachin Rangers” which wrought havoc behind Japanese lines in Southeast Asia during World War II.

The modern 1st Special Forces Group was activated 24 June 1957 and stationed at Fort Buckner, Okinawa. For the next seventeen years, the Group carried out a variety of missions in the Asia-Pacific region, including civic action, foreign internal defense, counterinsurgency, reconnaissance, and disaster relief. (right) 1st SFGA Beret flash & crest, 1961-63

1st Special Forces Group saw extensive combat service in Vietnam, as well as in Laos and Thailand. Soldiers from 1st SFGA earned 296 awards for valor in Southeast Asia, and the Group was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation. These honors were earned at a heavy price: 45 soldiers of the 1st SFGA were killed in Southeast Asia, 293 were wounded, and one remains missing in action.

1st Special Forces Group fought natural disasters as well as the enemy; teams deployed to the Philippines in 1972 and Pakistan in 1973 to provide disaster relief for victims of floods and famine. For this humanitarian service, 1st SFGA received the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation.

1st Special Forces Group was inactivated 28 June 1974 as part of a general reduction in Special Forces strength. Ten years later, recognizing the critical role that Special Forces performs in both peace and war, the Army re-activated 1st Special Forces Group. On 2 March 1984, 1st Battalion was organized at Fort Bragg, NC and posted to Torii Station, Okinawa Japan. The Group Headquarters, 2nd and 3rd Battalions were reactivated at Fort Lewis WA on 4 September 1984.

Special Forces Detachment Korea was assigned to 1st Special Forces Group in 1986.

1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) has served in peacetime and in war throughout Asia and the Pacific basin. Since the events of September 11th 2001, 1st Special Forces Group has participated in combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Philippines. The first American to die at the hands of the enemy in Vietnam, Captain Harry Cramer, KIA 21 October 1957, and the first U.S. soldier to die by hostile fire in Afghanistan, Sergeant First Class Nathan Chapman, KIA 4 January 2002, were both 1st SFGA soldiers.


To date, eleven 1st Group soldiers have given their lives in the Global War on Terror.

The battalion trains in many countries throughout the Pacific Area Of Responsibility (AOR). Performing their doctrinal mission of foreign internal defense, 10-12 man Special Forces teams train host nation forces in small unit tactics, individual specialty skills, leadership, human rights, and infiltration techniques. 1st Battalion also teaches foreign militaries' humanitarian demining, showing them how to render the areas safe for local civilians. Other subjects include counter-drug operations in coordination with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Joint Interagency Task Force-West, and humanitarian assistance including disaster relief.

By working within local customs and taboos, and by using the indigenous language, Special Forces soldiers provide Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) a low visibility and credible engagement force. The quiet professionals of 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, with their diverse skills and robust quick response capability, earned the motto "First In Asia."

Given the maritime nature throughout their Area of Operations and Responsibility (AOR), 1st Group SF teams are proficient at maritime operations; surface & sub-surface swimmer infil supported by Zodiac boats and kayaks launched from "mother-ships", submarine lock-out, ramp-launched from MH-47 or MH-53 Special Operations helicopters, or even via parachute from MC-130 aircraft. The teams also practice fast-rope insertion techniques and military free-fall HALO (High-Altitude, Low-Opening) parachuting. The latter allows them to leave the aircraft at 25,000 feet and land within 75 feet of their objectives.

The twin Torii Gates at the front gate of Torii Station, Okinawa.

Somewhere in Pyongyang is a desk drawer filled with photographs of me flipping the bird at the guy who used to stand across the street in front of the Royal Hotel (posing as a Japanese tourist) and take our pictures as we drove out these gates.



This post is a part of an on-going series on the History of US Army Special Forces - S.L.