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05-10-09, 07:29 AM
Osprey to deploy with 22nd MEU
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May 9, 2009 - 5:08 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is preparing to deploy later this month with a new tool in its toolbox: the MV-22 Osprey.
The Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft that flies like an airplane but can take off, land and hover like a helicopter, has flown in Iraq, but has never deployed as part of a MEU.
Marines say that while there have been some challenges integrating the aircraft onto the ship environment, it has gone more smoothly than expected and will bring additional capabilities to the unit.
A MEU is made up of an infantry element, a logistics element, a command element and an aviation element. The aviation element includes different types of aircraft to be used for different missions. The Osprey will replace the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter in the MEU's arsenal.
"The MV-22 brings more lift, range and speed to the Marine Expeditionary Unit than ever before," said Col. Gareth Brandl, commander of the 22nd MEU. "The range allows us to put troops on the ground further inland than before, and the speed of the aircraft allows us to mass forces more quickly at shorter distances."
The Osprey can carry about twice as many Marines per airplane than the CH-46, said Lt. Col. Paul Ryan, commander of VMM-263 (Reinforced), the 22nd MEU's aviation element. It also can climb and descend quickly, and regularly flies at 7,000 to 10,000 feet, whereas a CH-46 rarely operates above 4,000 or 5,000 feet for long. The increased altitude can mean increased survivability, Ryan said.
During the MEU's pre-deployment training, the Ospreys allowed the Marines to do a 200-mile raid in about a four-hour window, at night - something that would have taken two days with the CH-46, Ryan said. During another training exercise, the Ospreys participated in a 400-mile operation in five to six hours, which would have taken days with the CH-46 and required the ships to move.
The long-range capabilities make the MEU more prepared "for current world events," Ryan said, noting that the aircraft will be based on ships, while Afghanistan is many miles from the ocean.
But integrating the aircraft into the MEU - and onto the ships - was a bit of a challenge.
The Osprey has a larger footprint than the CH-46, and while the MEU will only take 10 - instead of the traditional 12 Sea Knights - they take up a lot of room on the ship. The sailors and Marines had to "crack the code" on parking the aircraft to fit it and still allow some room for movement on the hangar deck, Ryan said.
The other issue is that the planes must be parked in a folded position, which is different than the way they are parked for maintenance. So, for maintenance, the Ospreys must be moved up to the flight deck, which means more work for the sailors and Marines.
But, Ryan said, there is still some space in the hangar deck to move around, and the challenges have been worked through.
"I thought it was going to be worse than it is," he said.
Capt. Chris Denver, an MV-22 pilot and VMM-263's adjutant, said all the pre-deployment workups have given the unit an idea of how to integrate the new aircraft.
"We're excited, looking forward to seeing what kinds of things we can bring to the table with the V-22," he said.
As for fitting the aircraft onto the ship, Denver said "everything went beyond expected."
There are some other challenges with the V-22 versus the CH-46, Ryan said. For example, the plane produces a lot more downwash, therefore kicking up a lot of dust and debris. It also is more difficult for things like rope operations, Ryan said.
But because the aircraft is new to the MEU, the unit approached training "with a crawl, walk, run mindset," Brandl said. "We didn't start with varsity level missions - we needed to master the basics first."
The integration went well, he said.
"We were extremely successful during our pre-deployment training and I fully expect that we will have a successful deployment," Brandl said.
Brandl and Ryan praised the Marines and sailors for their hard work, and said they are more important than any equipment.
"We definitely consider our personnel to be the ... most precious asset," Ryan said.
"We're extremely proud to be the first MEU to deploy with the Osprey," Brandl said. But, "it's equally important to highlight how the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of every Marine and sailor in the MEU has made this unit ready to conduct any mission, from combat to humanitarian assistance."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie
Comments 0 | Recommend 1
May 9, 2009 - 5:08 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is preparing to deploy later this month with a new tool in its toolbox: the MV-22 Osprey.
The Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft that flies like an airplane but can take off, land and hover like a helicopter, has flown in Iraq, but has never deployed as part of a MEU.
Marines say that while there have been some challenges integrating the aircraft onto the ship environment, it has gone more smoothly than expected and will bring additional capabilities to the unit.
A MEU is made up of an infantry element, a logistics element, a command element and an aviation element. The aviation element includes different types of aircraft to be used for different missions. The Osprey will replace the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter in the MEU's arsenal.
"The MV-22 brings more lift, range and speed to the Marine Expeditionary Unit than ever before," said Col. Gareth Brandl, commander of the 22nd MEU. "The range allows us to put troops on the ground further inland than before, and the speed of the aircraft allows us to mass forces more quickly at shorter distances."
The Osprey can carry about twice as many Marines per airplane than the CH-46, said Lt. Col. Paul Ryan, commander of VMM-263 (Reinforced), the 22nd MEU's aviation element. It also can climb and descend quickly, and regularly flies at 7,000 to 10,000 feet, whereas a CH-46 rarely operates above 4,000 or 5,000 feet for long. The increased altitude can mean increased survivability, Ryan said.
During the MEU's pre-deployment training, the Ospreys allowed the Marines to do a 200-mile raid in about a four-hour window, at night - something that would have taken two days with the CH-46, Ryan said. During another training exercise, the Ospreys participated in a 400-mile operation in five to six hours, which would have taken days with the CH-46 and required the ships to move.
The long-range capabilities make the MEU more prepared "for current world events," Ryan said, noting that the aircraft will be based on ships, while Afghanistan is many miles from the ocean.
But integrating the aircraft into the MEU - and onto the ships - was a bit of a challenge.
The Osprey has a larger footprint than the CH-46, and while the MEU will only take 10 - instead of the traditional 12 Sea Knights - they take up a lot of room on the ship. The sailors and Marines had to "crack the code" on parking the aircraft to fit it and still allow some room for movement on the hangar deck, Ryan said.
The other issue is that the planes must be parked in a folded position, which is different than the way they are parked for maintenance. So, for maintenance, the Ospreys must be moved up to the flight deck, which means more work for the sailors and Marines.
But, Ryan said, there is still some space in the hangar deck to move around, and the challenges have been worked through.
"I thought it was going to be worse than it is," he said.
Capt. Chris Denver, an MV-22 pilot and VMM-263's adjutant, said all the pre-deployment workups have given the unit an idea of how to integrate the new aircraft.
"We're excited, looking forward to seeing what kinds of things we can bring to the table with the V-22," he said.
As for fitting the aircraft onto the ship, Denver said "everything went beyond expected."
There are some other challenges with the V-22 versus the CH-46, Ryan said. For example, the plane produces a lot more downwash, therefore kicking up a lot of dust and debris. It also is more difficult for things like rope operations, Ryan said.
But because the aircraft is new to the MEU, the unit approached training "with a crawl, walk, run mindset," Brandl said. "We didn't start with varsity level missions - we needed to master the basics first."
The integration went well, he said.
"We were extremely successful during our pre-deployment training and I fully expect that we will have a successful deployment," Brandl said.
Brandl and Ryan praised the Marines and sailors for their hard work, and said they are more important than any equipment.
"We definitely consider our personnel to be the ... most precious asset," Ryan said.
"We're extremely proud to be the first MEU to deploy with the Osprey," Brandl said. But, "it's equally important to highlight how the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of every Marine and sailor in the MEU has made this unit ready to conduct any mission, from combat to humanitarian assistance."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie