United States Balikatan exercise director Brig. Gen.
Christopher J. Mahoney, a qualified fighter pilot, said that MV-22B
"Osprey" has given the US Marine Corps more capability in responding
to conflicts and disasters worldwide.
He made this statement during an interview on the sidelines
of the aircraft display portion of Balikatan 2015 which was held at Clark Air
Base in Pampanga Saturday.
One of the aircraft in display was the MV-22B.
Mahoney said that having the "Osprey" in their
inventory gives the USMC an immense advantage as the aircraft can carry a lot
more equipment and personnel than its helicopter counterparts since it is a lot
bigger.
And it can respond faster and it proceed from vertical to
level flight in a matter of minutes due to its "tilt-rotor"
capabilities.
Speed and load is essential when responding to conflict and
disaster situations, Mahoney added.
The "Osprey" had its Philippine debut during
"Balikatan 2013" which took place on April 5 to 17.
It is designed to combine the functionality of a
conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a
turboprop aircraft.
The MV-22B originated from the United States Department of
Defense joint-service vertical take-off/landing experimental (JVX) aircraft
program which started in 1981.
The team of Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters was
awarded a development contract in 1983 for the tilt-rotor aircraft.
The Bell Boeing team jointly produced the aircraft.
The MV-22 first flew in 1989, and began flight testing and
design alterations; the complexity and difficulties of being the first
tilt-rotor intended for military service in the world led to many years of
development.
The United States Marine Corps began crew training for the
"Osprey" in 2000, and fielded it in 2007. It is supplementing and
will eventually replace their CH-46 "Sea Knights."
The MV-22B's other operator, the US Air Force, fielded their
version of the tilt-rotor in 2009.
Since entering service with the US Marine Corps and Air
Force, the aircraft has been deployed in both combat and rescue operations over
Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=755999
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.