The Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey program office today announced the first landing of the tiltrotor transport on a coalition warship.
Its not huge news, but it seems to indicate the Osprey can be accommodated on allied ships. Theres been a lot of controversy over whether the Osprey can even fit properly and in the needed numbers on U.S. amphibs, much less on other nations ships.
From Bell-Boeing:
Ahead of a US-led Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFX) on the Eastern seaboard of the United States, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS welcomed the very first embarkation of a US Marine Corps Bell/Boeing MV-22 Osprey onto the Royal Navy aircraft carrier today. It is the first time that an Osprey has embarked in a non-US vessel.
The worlds first tilt-rotor aircraft, with a unique vertical takeoff and landing capability, is ideally suited to working from the deck of HMS ILLUSTRIOUS which is currently the UKs high readiness strike carrier. With US Marine Corps Major Frank Conway piloting the aircraft, the visit gave the Ospreys crew a unique opportunity to demonstrate the aircrafts flexibility as well as the versatility of the UKs primary Maritime Strike capability. Whilst there are no current plans to operate the MV-22 from UK Ships, close co-operation of this kind is vital should the need arise for ILLUSTRIOUS to conduct operations in a coalition environment.
Commander Henry Mitchell, the Commander (Air) in HMS ILLUSTRIOUS stated that The Osprey visit gave the ship a unique opportunity to work with this impressive aircraft further adding We have been planning this for some time and although it is a departure from normal operations, the landing demonstrates the truly flexible nature of the UK Strike Carrier and the Osprey. It is hugely important to recognise the opportunities this type of event brings with it and how it reinforces our ability and willingness to operate with the widest possible range of aircraft anywhere in the world.
The embarkation of the MV-22 Osprey is a pre-cursor to a major US led military exercise-JTFX 2007 in which Commodore Alan Richards, Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, based in ILLUSTRIOUS will lead one of three carrier strike groups and will also embark up to 16 US Marine Corps AV8B Harrier jets as well as operate her own Sea King airborne surveillance and rescue helicopters. The exercise will test her across the broad spectrum of conflict, ranging from embargo operations involving UK and US boarding teams to air strike missions dropping precision ordnance against simulated targets. The Captain of ILLUSTRIOUS, Captain Tim Fraser said, this is a really exciting opportunity for ILLUSTRIOUS. The exercise will allow us to train and test many aspects of our capability in a demanding scenario alongside the US Navy, while integrating USMC Harriers and 200 US personnel on board ILLUSTRIOUS.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Actually the UK is presently assessing the MV-22 Osprey for use with 16 Air Assault Brigade, Special Forces, Royal Marines and as a potential aircraft for the 2 new 65,000+ tonne aircraft carriers.
They’ll need the 65,000 ton carriers, as that Osprey dwarfs the Illustrious. :)
If you would notice the entire deck was empty. That A/C is to bulky and ackward to be on any aircraft carrier.
Of course the flight deck was empty – it was a test flight. You wouldn’t try landing the V-22 on the Illustrious at all if you thought there was a good chance it would crash into parked aircraft on the deck, but for a test you have to prepare for the unexpected. Operational flying would only require enough clear deck to land the aircraft.
Did the engine exhaust melt the deck? (as some have been concerned about)
Quote: The world’s first tilt-rotor aircraft…
I think not! Someone needs to crack a history book now and then.
Was the helicopter on hand in case it crashed on landing ?
The helicopter was probably acting as a “chase plane.” This is also common practice in test flights. The chase plane provides an external perspective to the test pilot, as well as recording imagery. In line with my previous comment on preparing for the unexpected, they probably also were acting as a rescue chopper in case the V-22 crashed.
First, there is a SAR helo in the air during any carrier flight ops, in any navy that operates carriers.
All aircraft are subject to mechanical/pilot caused crashes, and it is only sensible to be ready “just in case”. That has nothing to do with which aircraft was landing.
Second, thew total safety zone needed by the MV-22 is basically the same size as the CH-53E, and it folds to between the CH-53E and the CH-46F in size… and both of those operate from US LHA/LHDs regularly.
Look at these photos to see them operating from a 40,000 ton USN LHD: http://www.wasp.navy.mil/photogallery5.htm
ot this PDF which includes a photo (page 5) of 7 MV-22s (with wings & rotore folded) on LHD-5 Bataan: http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/support/pdf/rb/rb_oct05.pdf
The Osprey is an excellent force-mulitplier. It is often over-estimated what a shipboard helicopter can do; helos have a max usefull range which is always too short when carrying a tactical load. Osprey has the reach to truly influence events from the sea, without risking your (mini-)carrier.
The only things that worry me are the cargo/troop capacity and its hefty pricetag.
It can carry 24 troops, but nothing much else – no vehicles or artillery pieces except as underslung load. Although useful, that makes it slow and vulnerable since it reduces its speed – its main advantage – and range (due to higher drag).
Yes, still an improvement over the old CH-46, but I would’ve liked an Osprey with the “fat belly” of a CH-53 Stallion.
Cheers.
The Sea King Helo was the SAR bird for flight ops and was also taking pictures for the British Navy and publications etc.
The main deterrent to the MV-22 Osprey being an effective troop transport is not it’s carrying capacity, but the Osprey’s tendency to crash, killing all the troops on board!
Can the osprey use the jump ramp for a launch assist with the ship sailing into the headwind?
It looks like its substantially larger on the flight deck then a copter. It doesnt look like it could be operated next to the bridge island.
It looks like you would need a substantially larger ship to operate a group of osprey as you would on a helicarrier such as this.
First: the Osprey was specifically designed to operate off the spot adjacent to the bridge on a USMC helicopter carrier. It rotor tip path is 84′ wide, only 5′ wider than the Marines’ CH-53E. It may look too large or like it needs a larger ship, but it was designed to operate off the current fleet.
Second: It’s “tendency to crash” reflects two crashes that happened 7 years ago and tragically killed a total of 21 personnel. It has since undergone a 2-yr operational pause, significant upgrades and revisions, and has flown 1000′s of mishap-free hours since return to fly. The Osprey is engaged in full-time training ops for both the Marines (MV-22) and the Air Force (CV-22) and the Marines will be deploying operationally this fall. Chances are as you read this there’s an Osprey completing another one of the dozens of successful training missions they fly EVERY DAY.
During time on board HMS Illustrious I have experience of flight operations being conducted with out a Helo in the vicinty of the ship, when operating the sea Harrier / Harrier the ship also carried three ASaC Seakings and a single Seaking HAS mk 6 for combined COD/utility/SAR work, and it is my guess that it would have been specifically tasked for the Phot Ex
I can concur with Dave. I used to fly Sea Harriers and we never had a dedicated SAR helicopter……that would of been pure luxury! LOL.
When are you guys going to wake up and realize that this machne is nothing more than a jobs program. We’re $20 billion into it an it’s still not fit for the battlefield. I know what you’re going to say, “….but it’s going soon (pout)!”
Yea, it sure is. After God knows how much money and energy has been spent to roll out the red carpet for it so it don’t get scratched.