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| Landing Craft Unit 1644 returns to the well deck deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41). The Whidbey Island is deployed as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, participating in the Spanish Amphibious Landing Exercise off the coast of Spain. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Desiree D. Green) |
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| An amphibious assault vehicle from Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit,exits the well deck of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan June 23. Bataan is the command ship of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, participating in the bilateral Spanish Amphibious Landing Exercise 2011 off the coast of Spain. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Julio Rivera) |
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| Spanish marines along with Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit prepare to load into an MV-22B Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced) to conduct parachute operations into a Spanish military training area northwest of Naval Station Rota, Spain, June 23, as part of the bilateral Spanish amphibious landing exercise 2011. The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, which includes multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island and the amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde are also participating in the exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erin Lea Boyce) |
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| Spanish marines parachute from an MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, into a Spanish military training area northwest of Naval Station Rota, Spain, June 23, as part of the bilateral Spanish amphibious landing exercise 2011. The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, which includes multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island and the amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde are also participating in the exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erin Lea Boyce) |
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| The amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde makes preparations to conduct amphibious operations while participating with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group in the Spanish Amphibious Landing Exercise off the coast of Spain. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Desiree D. Green) |
Parachuting out of an Osprey? Isn't that like LAPES'ing out of a Chinook?
ReplyDeleteyou got jokes huh! that was funny;))
ReplyDeletebut seriously...
i think its probably more about them getting naval jump wings rather than it being tactically viable.
besides i've seen some goofy stuff....parachuting out of chinooks and hueys (never seen it done from a CH-53 though)...so i'm really not surprised.
It makes for a good demo and they might need the jump to keep a jump pay qualification, two valid reasons for jumping out of a perfectly good Osprey.
ReplyDeleteI thought about it a little more and now I'm curious about the MV-22 for HALO/HAHO support. Supposedly the service ceiling of the Osprey is 25,000 feet, about the minimum for HALO/HAHO (thank you wikipedia) but honestly 25,000' seems a little low for a plane as over powered for conventional flight as the Osprey.
Still, it's much higher than even the CH-53E so there's another advantage for the Osprey for spec ops work, especially off ships where you can't grab a handy C-130 just for your high altitude drops.
from what i understand the altitude is limited by the lack of pressurization.
ReplyDeletebut even for the purposes of Special Forces is HALO/HAHO really used operationally?
i mean seriously the ideal place for that type insertion would have been the Bin Laden kill but they helo-ed in just like a conventional force would.
probably deserves a separate post but with Special Forces going all raids, and nothing but raids i wonder if they're losing there umph in other fields/skills