Open House Features ($100 million dollar) MV-22 Osprey

Open House Features MV-22 Osprey
May 17, 2010
Air Force Print News|by Cristie Varvaro

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. - The MV-22 Osprey, one of the workhorse aircraft of the U.S. Marine Corps., was featured at the 2010 Joint Service Open House here.

The Osprey is a multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft featuring both a vertical takeoff and landing, and short takeoff and landing capabilities. It funcations as both a conventional helicopter and a turboprop aircraft.

Air Force pilots also fly the Osprey. An Air Force version of the tiltrotor was fielded in 2009.

"This is a great aircraft, faster than any helicopter," said Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Ackerman, a flightline mechanic who said the Osprey's primary missions are troop transportation, medical evacuation and light supply transport.

Since entering service with the Marines and Air Force, the Osprey has been deployed for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both services train jointly on the Osprey.

... the US has spent a boatload of cash trying to improve the safety of the Osprey. This aircraft takes off and lands like a 'coptor, then tilts its rotors foreward and flies like a plane.

This provides a huge military advantage in being able to fly troops or equipment at high speed over long distances and land where there is no airstrip.

It also has the potential to serve humanitarian causes, as in Haiti where medical and food supplies were desperately needed and the airstrip was in ruins.

So, if I had a choice between spending taxpayer dollars on Osprey development vs one more sub or carrier, I'd choose the Osprey.

I'd still rather see the money used to help the poor in this country have a decent life, but of course that's not what the MIC wants.

Wouldn't it be interesting to examine what the US could do if we decided we didn't need more firepower than the next 11 largest militaries combined (10 of which are our Allies)?