Survivability improvement V-22 Osprey

US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is working with the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to improve the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft’s survivability and establish its assault-support elements in the high-threat situations.

Colonel Matthew Kelly, head of the Department of Defence (DoD) joint V-22 programme, noted that his office is looking into implementing helmet-mounted visualisation technologies for the MV-22 variant for missions in degraded environments.

According to Kelly, the V-22 production line will accommodate additional orders through 2023. The governments of Indonesia and Israel are also looking to procure V-22s, he added. “We’re really proud of the work the pilots, aircrews and maintainers do, and we’re looking forward to another 30 to 40 years of flying the V-22,” said Kelly.

USMC uses the MV-22 version of the V-22 Osprey which is designed to transport troops, equipment, and supplies from ships and land bases for combat assault and assault support. It was designed as the medium-lift replacement for the CH-46E Sea Knight assault support helicopter. The Osprey offers twice the speed, six times the range, and three times the payload of the CH-46E.

Scramble Magazine has the following Osprey units in the Air Order of Battle for the USMC (MV-22B) and the US Navy (CMV-22B):

MCAS Camp Pendleton (CA): VMM-164 Knightriders ('YT-xx') and VMM-364 Purple Foxes ('PF-xx')
MCAF Kaneohe Bay (HI): VMM-268 Red Dragons ('YQ-xx') and VMM-363 Lucky Red Lions ('YZ-xx')
MCAS Miramar (CA): VMM-161 Greyhawks ('YR-xx'), VMM-163 Evil Eyes ('YP-xx'), VMM-165 White Knights ('YW-xx'), VMM-166 Sea Elks ('YX-xx'), VMM-362 Ugly Angles ('YL-xx') and VMM-764 Moonlight ('ML-4xx')
NS Norfolk (VA): VMM-774 Wild Goose ('MQ-xx')
MCAS New River (NC): VMM-162 Golden Eagles ('YS-xx'), VMM-261 Raging Bulls ('EM-xx'), VMM-263 Thunder Chickens ('EG-xx'), VMM-264 Black Knights ('EH-xx'), VMM-266 Fighting Griffins ('ES-xx'), VMM-365 Blue Knights ('YM-xx') and VMMT-204 Raptors ('GX-xx')
MCAF Quantico (VA): HMX-1 Nighthawks
MCAS Yuma (AZ): VMX-1 Mihi Cura Futuri ('MV-0xx')
MCAS Futenma (Japan): VMM-262 Flying Tigers ('ET-xx') and VMM-265 Dragons ('EP-xx')
Plus USMC detachments on a three-monthly rotation at Sevilla/Morón (Spain), Sigonella (Italy) and Ahmed al Jaber (Kuwait)
NAS North Island (CA): VRM-30 Titans and VRM-50 Sun Hawks
NAS Patuxent River (MD): HX-21 Blackjack ('HX-xx') and NRWATS

Photo: José Damián González Martínez (Scramble Archive)