Something for the guys in England to see.
MV-22 Osprey Tiltrotors to Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough Air Shows
U.S. Marines will fly two MV-22 Ospreys to England for the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford and Farnborough International Air Show.
Bell Boeing pilots will fly the aircraft during daily flight demonstrations at both RIAT and Farnborough.
The Ospreys will depart Marine Corps Air Station New River, NC, and fly to Goose Bay, Newfoundland, where the crews will remain overnight. The next day they will depart Goose Bay and fly across the Atlantic to Farnborough with two Marine Corps KC-130J tanker aircraft from VMGR-252.
The Marine Corps' purpose for going to RIAT and FAS is to develop tactics, techniques and procedures for long-range, over-water movements of V-22s. VMX-22 will validate the Osprey's long-range fuel system capability and aerial refueling data, with the goal of supporting future VMM unit-level deployments.
Under the current program of record, the Marine Corps will purchase 360 MV-22s for missions, including amphibious assault, ship-to-objective maneuvers, and sustained operations ashore. The Navy is also slated to get 48 MV-22s, which could be used for fleet logistic support, and search and rescue.
The Air Force Special Operations Command will acquire 50 CV-22 variants, with enhanced capabilities tailored for their unique mission requirements. The CV-22 will reach initial operational capability in 2009, while the Marines' variant will be ready to deploy in late 2007.