The above photos are from Military Technology Blog. What impressive is the timeframe in which they were developed. 2002!
This tells me one thing.
The capability has always been there, but for some reason it hasn't been pursued. I don't know if it has something to do with the aircraft design...maybe its a center gravity issue....but one thing is certain. Something about the MV/CV-22 is making putting a forward firing gun on it difficult.
AFTimes
ReplyDeleteSOCOM soon getting more capable, deadlier Ospreys and C-130s
Plans briefed to industry at the annual SOFIC conference here include adding a forward-facing gun and better armor to its 50 CV-22 Ospreys, Hellfire missiles to the AC-130 fleet, along with new command and control and radio frequency jammers and countermeasures to both platforms that can be rolled on and rolled off, depending on the mission.
i read that article and wasn't impressed. SOCOM is trying to be cutting edge, rapid fielding and all the while doing it on the cheap. they must really be feeling the heat for having a force larger than most European nations have standing armies. anyway i expect it to be some type of strap on fixed forward firing popgun. i'd bet body parts that it won't be over 50 cal and more than likely will be 7.62. the price point they're talking about is just too low for a real deal solution.
DeleteCraig Hooper hearts it, and even takes credit for it.
Deletehttp://nextnavy.com/a-nextnavy-com-win-cv-22s-getting-guns-and-armor/
Regarding the fact that this weapon system has been in existance since 2002, i bet ground units were not lacking in dedicated air support in the form of A-10 and choppers back then when there was no mad scamble to save every budget dollar and kicking out whole weapons families. These MV-22 weapon upgrades scream that exact mad scramble. I may be wrong.
ReplyDeleteDo not know if you will see this or not Sol, being this old of a post but yes it is all about weight.
ReplyDeleteIf you put 550 lbs on the very front you need an equal and opposite on weight on the rear. So at a minimum you just lost 1100 lbs.
Up armoring MV-22s will cost you another 1000lbs or more. In a high and hot condition that might leave you with only a couple thousand more pounds for troops. At 350lbs a troops give or take you could find yourself carrying a 9-10 troops.
This is why no one has ever taken that gun turret they already have for it into combat. Too heavy.