Sasless,
please do explain why the Osprey requires no "Security" at the LZ and the Utility helicopter does?
The quote from the Marines was:
the Osprey doesn’t need a forward refueling point or security
If one does not need to FARP then one does not need FARP security, true enough?
If a Marine Rifle Company consisting of a dozen riflemen and and about 162 Cameramen and assorted others....makes up the numbers of troops being moved....it would appear four CH-53's could do the job in one lift. Then be able to tote all the other kit needed including LAV's.....which the Osprey cannot do. Or....do Marine Rifle Company's always operate all by their lonesome?
A true enough statement with one exception, it assumes that the USMC would fly the 53 with a full load of Marines in the back. This didn't use to be so for the simple reason that if you lost one 53 enroute due to combat or maintenance reasons, you would lose 25-30% of your combat force(assuming a Marine Co). Therefore they spread load the Marines over a larger number of aircraft, thus the use of platforms that carry a smaller number of Marines. As an example when we would swap out aircrews at a FOB we would spread load 30 to 40 Marines over two 53s, sometimes three. This may have changed now, I admit that I do not know the current utilization. Also keep in mind that the 53s primary mission is to haul trash, not Marines. With respect to the LAVs, during my time in Iraq as a Marine pilot not once did I see a 53 external anything other than boxes full of bottled water or MREs, not a single LAV or hummer. I'm not saying it didn't/doesn't happen but I think you over estimate the requirement to perform such task is todays environment.