Sorry folks, been on vacation with my family for a few days, but back up now...
On Friday I attended a press conference at the Pentagon -- I called it an end zone dance -- where the Marine Corps talked about its successful deployment to Iraq with its first Osprey squadron.
They've already replaced the VMM-263 with another squadron and the press conference -- which surprisingly lasted about an hour -- was pretty standard stuff.
One thing that the Corps' chief of aviation Lt. Gen. George Trautman said was that the service "had an all-aspect, all-quadrant weapon system" on the Osprey "since the very beginning."
"The reason we don't have an all-aspect gun on this platform is because it's hard to do. Okay? So it's more than just weight with regard to the chin gun.
"I've got a lot of time flying Cobras, and the Cobra is the only helicopter in the Marine Corps that has a forward-firing gun. It is not an easy proposition, even in the Cobra.
Well, SOCOM said the same thing, and it looks like they're getting what they want. BAE Systems has developed an underbelly gun for the spec ops version of the Osprey. And though some claim the mechanism makes the V-22s cargo cabin tighter, Trautman had positive things to say about the design and its ability to track the entire circumference of flight.
"The system that we're looking at now, with the Special Operations Command, is an all-aspect weapon that would be mounted in the belly of the aircraft.
"I actually have a better degree of confidence about this than I've had about any other approach that we've taken. And if it comes out the way that we hope that it will come out -- and I actually have some degree of confidence that it will -- Special Operations Command will have this all-aspect weapon mounted, and they intend to deploy with it early in the fall.
And that brings up another interesting point...So is AFSoc going to deploy with the Osprey in the Fall of '08? There's some rumor that SOCOM wants to deploy with the bird early, so was Trautman showing SOCOM's hand?
We can rehash the whole argument over why the Corps left an all-aspect gun out of their current design, but in the end, it sure goes against the Marines' culture to leave one off. As VMM-263 CO Lt. Col. Paul Rock said:
"Well, I mean, never ask a Marine if you wouldn't want more guns on his airplane. I mean, you know, that's kind of, I mean, more guns is good."
-- Christian
Osprey Fire Injures Marine
DT friend and Osprey investigative reporter for the Ft. Worth Star-TelegramBob Cox sent me an alarming note today. Turns out a V-22 at New River caught fire in the nacelle a month ago and no one seemed to catch it until now (yep, not until after the $10 billion contract award for 167 new MV-22s). According to Bob's investigation, this isn't a new problem.
And it looks like there's still more concern about an oil cooling system that's malfunctioning, risking gear box damage.
From the Star-Telegram's Sky Talk blog:
Just two weeks prior to that award, yet another Osprey operated by Marines in North Carolina suffered an engine nacelle fire, a recurring problem. The good folks at Amarillo.com backed into the story a few days ago with a nice story on a local Marine who had to be hospitalized for inhaling too much fire suppressant while extinguishing the blaze.
No word yet on the degree of damage to the aircraft, which was apparently on ground at the time preparing to take off. A similar fire a few months ago, that broke out in flight and required an emergency landing in the middle of nowhere, essentially destroyed the engine nacelle -- the compartment on the end of the wing that contains the jet turbine engine -- and left the wing itself in very bad shape, according to both Marine and Bell sources.
The Marines have had a number of these fires over the last couple of years but fortunately none have caused a crash. No word on whether there have been any fires involving V-22s in Iraq, which were the first to have a nacelle fire prevention fix installed. What happens is hydraulic and other flammable fluids leak inside the nacelle and then get ignited by hot engine components.
The Marines have acknowledged that the Osprey's reliability in Iraq (and stateside) continues to be less than desired and now have said the aircraft's engines are wearing way too fast. Then this week we learned of another significant problem that has popped up in Iraq.
It seems that the oil cooling system that supplies both a generator and one of the tilt-rotor gearboxes has a nasty tendency to go bad, allowing temperatures to rise to levels that could damage the gear box components. On four occasions V-22s at forward bases were grounded until repairs could be made. generators aboard the aircraft has a problem with its oil cooling system.
An internal Marine memorandum says it has been very fortunate that the cooling system hasn't failed in flight and forced a flight crew to make an emergency landing in hostile territory. The memo says the oil cooling system is lasting just 25 percent of its expected life.
All I can say is that when I spoke with maintainers, pilots, crew chiefs and squadron officials in Iraq, nothing like this came up. They mentioned slip ring failures and avionics hiccups from the fine dust, but nothing as alarming as nacelle fires and oil cooling system failures.
And a Marine spokesman told me the fire on March 14 happened because someone neglected to remove an engine intake cover. I should have more on this later.
So, thanks again to Bob Cox for the head's up.
-- Christian
Our Very Own Osprey Vid
A little shameless self promotion here folks, but as you know in January I spent a few days embedded with VMM-263, the first MV-22 squadron deployed to combat.
As my previous story subtly indicates, I was pretty impressed with the aircraft and was happier to fly 250 mph at 9,000 feet than 150 mph at 300 feet in a war zone situation. Even with the lack of armament -- which we can argue about later -- it seemed a lot safer going fast and high, than slow and low.
Well, I finally put together a video from the footage I shot doing a day of missions with a two ship formation. I posted it on Military.com's Shock and Awe sight, but I also wanted to show you all so you could slice and dice the performance.
I hope you enjoy it.
-- Christian
Osprey Finally Gets Multi-Year Plan
We just got word through the grapevine that a V-22 multi-year plan has been reached between Bell-Boeing and the government. The plan guarantees a buy of 167 Ospreys for $10.4 billion. That's about $62 million per aircraft, which is above the unit flyaway target of $58 million, but considerably down from the $72 million or so price of recent years.
This multi-year plan has been in works for years. Sticky points were the wording of the commitment letter and the details surrounding "reopeners" - the caveats that would allow the government to renegotiate the terms in the future.
Meanwhile, word from the front is the V-22 has morphed into the VIP transport of choice due to its speed and smooth ride. (Even John McCain was ferried around in one during his recent visit.)
(Gouge - SC)
-- Ward
The MV-22 Bradley?
I know that Christian loves the Osprey. I know that lots of people love the Osprey. And what's not to love, right? It's a plane! It's a helicopter! It's a tilt-rotor aircraft! And believe me you, there is nothing worse than having to choose between one or the other and ALWAYS having to have both around. SUCH a drag.) And now it is an armed plane/helicopter! Who says we can't have it all?
Dave Adamiak of BAE Systems explains more about this new addition to America's uber-aircraft:
The major factor in determining what weapon with which to fit the Osprey was size limitation, he said.
The entire system needed to fit into two holes in the aircraft's floor, each known as a "hell hole," which is used to attach cables to external cargo, such as a Humvee, Adamiak explained.
Weapon systems such as the .50-caliber machine gun were simply too big to fit in the space available, he said.
The weapon system weighs between 700 and 800 pounds, meaning the Osprey will have two to three fewer seats for troops, Adamiak said.
Wait a minute. Where have I heard this before?
That's when I realized that the Osprey is like the M2 Bradley of the skies.
Did anyone here ever see "The Pentagon Wars"? It was an HBO movie loosely based upon USAF Col. James Burton's book about his years at the Pentagon in the early 1980s. Although the movie is about the politics of defense acquisitions more generally (from the 1950s onward), it also about the "Bradley Fighting Vehicle" specifically. The Bradley went through many manifestations, starting out as a troop carrier, evolving into a tank, attempting to be amphibious at one point, and ultimately becoming the "fighting vehicle" that we know it as today.
As an aside, lest you think the Pentagon Wars is not worth watching, consider the following:
[Conversation after redesigning the Bradley to carry a gun turret]
Col. Robert Laurel Smith: That's one hell of a cannon.
Jones: That's the problem.
Col. Robert Laurel Smith: What is?
Jones: You go out on the battlefield with this pecker sticking out of your turret, and the enemy's going to unload on you with everything they got. Might as well put a big red bulls eye on the side.
Col. Robert Laurel Smith: But it's a troop carrier, not a tank.
Jones: Do you want me to put a sign on it in fifty languages, "I am a troop carrier, not a tank. Please don't shoot at me?"
Thanks to all for the kind words, and special thanks to the pprune moderators, who allowed me to make the transition without fear as one heartless and witless ppruner tried to saw off the limb I was on before the next limb was within reach!
Yes, Gulfstream is a great place to work, and I honestly planned to work there for years, until retirement, but the opportunity that Bell offered was just too grand to pass up. The advancement is wonderful, but so is the promise of working with some of the industry's finest on projects that make my head spin. Research and Development was my dream on the first resume that I prepared back when I graduated from Georgia Tech (Go Jackets!) back in 1973, and is now an essential part of my career.
Yes, Avnx EO, the challenge will be to make it work within the confines of today's corporate America, but I do think the team Dick M has built is a powerhouse - I am willing to bet my career on it! I am also betting on a group of very dedicated engineers and pilots who only ask for someone to get them the resources, constancy and support to make things happen. I believe loyalty goes up and down, and that a leader owes his folks to work as hard as possible to get them what they need to make new things happen. I know that some doubt my desire to develop tilt rotors. To them I say that we must please our customers, who demand more speed than we now deliver. I know that, and I stand ready to learn what those grizzly professionals want to teach me about flying at 300 knots.
I also think that research lies in smaller things, systems and technologies that do not stun, and don't make the Sunday newspaper. Sometimes we feel compelled to develop the better blade, and better transmission, and we forget that a failed microswitch, a missed approach or blown oil seal can spell financial disaster for our customers. Our technological progress has big leaps and small victories, and I would like put together a team that can hit both chip shots and long drives.
The rumor and gossip mill at Bell Helicopter has been running at warp speed the last few days over reports the company may hire a former top official of rival Sikorsky Aircraft Co. to take over as senior vice president of engineering and head of Bell's Xworkx research and development lab.
The suggestion that Bell may hire Nick Lappos, now an executive with Gulftream Aerospace but formerly an engineer, test pilot and head of the effort to sell Sikorsky's S-92 to the U.S. armed forces, has stirred up a tempest among old line Bell loyalists.
Some Bell employees and former employees have reportedly written letters to senior management at the company urging reconsideration if Lappos is indeed being considered for a Bell post.
Bell and Sikorsky have long been competitors and rivals, at times less than friendly. Lappos, who is well respected by many in the helicopter world, has earned the enmity of many Bell loyalists because of his past criticisms of the V-22 Osprey and Bell's other tilt-rotor aircraft development efforts including the BA609 civil tilt-rotor.
Lappos has not returned telephone calls and e-mails from the Star-Telegram. Bell officials have declined to comment on "any personnel matters."
Bell has hired several other former Sikorsky officials in recent years including Mike Blake, now executive vice president of the Fort Worth company. One industry official said Lappos is an excellent engineer and works well with other people and would have little problem renouncing his past criticisms of the V-22 to go to work for Bell.
I know there's some debate around these parts on whether or not the Osprey is combat effective with or without a defensive weapon.
We all know the MV-22 has a ramp-mounted gun pointing aft, which gives the plane very little in the way of fire supression in a hot LZ (that is, if the gun works. On my last flight on the Osprey in Iraq one of the planes' guns malfunctioned)...
My impression from flying around in several Ospreys in Iraq is that the speed and agility make up for a lack of defensive firepower...you don't see a door gun on a C-130 do you? But I can still understand why the SOF community wants a little more bang bang given its mission. And it seems to me that if you can then why don't you put a lead-spitting gatling gun on the darn thing. Better safe than sorry, I say.
So BAE Systems has been working with the SOF CV-22 folks to design a defensive weapon that sits under the Osprey's belly and can swing 360 degrees for covering fire. They just sent me a release yesterday that showed the company is well on its way to flight testing the gun, a modified GAU-2B minigun. It's an version of the company's Remote Guardian system which is intended for a variety of rotary aircraft in the US inventory.
I know our friends at Aviation Week reported the official "unveiling" of the system last fall at Modern Day Marine, but this marks the first time the system has been installed on an actual plane, readying it for the first test flight and aerial fire...
(PHOTO: BAE Systems)
-- Christian
More "Osprey in Iraq" News
The lede article at Military.com this morning is Christian's more formalized report about his time with VMM-263 in Iraq. Here's a sniff:
The Marine Corps moved heaven and earth to get them here. An amphibious assault ship was commandeered specifically to carry the New River, N.C.-based squadron halfway around the world to the most dangerous war zone on the planet.
And there was a lot riding on this deployment. Billions of dollars were spent over nearly three decades on a technology that many said would never work. And its track record -- at least in the early years -- wasn’t very good.
But the Corps’ most high-profile program is finally deployed, and from the looks of it, the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor transport is living up to its promise.
I just got off the flight line from a day aboard "Steadfast 04," an MV-22 Osprey from the New River, N.C.-based Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 deployed here at al Asad air base in Iraq. I'm putting together a longer story about my day and interviews I had with crew, maintainers and commanders with the squadron, but here are my preliminary impressions.
You ride one, you'll never want to go back to anything else. Period.
It just so happened that my flight from Fallujah to al Asad was on an Osprey. I was jammed in there with about ten other pax, their gear and a box full of supplies they call "tri-walls" for their three-ply cardboard construction. The guy next to me was a SEAL who's working here training Iraqi army troops. It was his first time on an Osprey.
Shouting over the engine noise, I asked him what he thought. He beamed a huge smile and gave a hardy thumbs up. Then he told me...
"I've ridden on CH-53s about five times before...it takes forEVER," he shouted as we sped across the blackened desert. That three-engined beast is really the only thing comparable in this AO to the Osprey (the Army's CH-47 is a good comparison too) but the MV-22 blows the Super Stallion out of the water in this medium lift role.
The performance of the Osprey compared to the helicopter it's replacing -- the CH-46 Sea Knight -- is like night and day. The most dramatic thing you notice here in a "combat" environment is the extreme altitude gain and loss the MV-22 can pull. It literally jumps off the landing pad and within seconds goes nose high and skyrockets to anywhere between 5,000 and 9,500 feet. The pull up and nose down to the LZ can be so jarring you think you're going to fall out the back...and the pressure on your ears is borderline painful.
"Make sure their heads aren't exploding," said Steadfast 04 co-pilot, Capt. Lee York, to his crew chief, Gunnery Sgt. Mike Brodeur.
"They're okay, sir," came Brodeur's voice over the intercom as he surveyed the wide-eyed Marines sitting along the Osprey's bulkhead.
So far, the Osprey has defied the dire predictions of its most severe critics. Citing the V-22's record of four crashes and 30 deaths in test flights prior to 2001, some foes of the tiltrotor forecast more crashes and deaths in Iraq.
As of Dec. 28, three months through a scheduled seven-month deployment, the 23 pilots of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, known as VMM-263, had logged 1,639 hours of flight time in Iraq, carried 6,826 passengers and delivered 631,837 pounds of cargo without a mishap or even a close call.
Headquartered at Al Asad, an isolated air base in the desert about 110 miles west of Baghdad, VMM-263's Ospreys spent their first two months in Iraq largely flying "general support" missions - hauling troops and supplies to and from forward operating bases.
Even one of the usual suspects, Phil Coyle, was uncharacteristically sanguine about the V-22's performance to date:
"As long as they keep using it like a truck, I think they'll probably be okay," said Philip Coyle, a former Pentagon weapons testing director and a longtime Osprey critic.
The article mentions the various missions that "Thunder Chicken" aircraft have been involved in, including an ersatz combat mission called "aeroscout."
While one could argue that the 50 percent FMC rate that skipper Rock throws out in passing is a scary stat, the other data looks promising. Also no mishaps are better than some mishaps. In any case, we'll reserve judgement until Christian has a chance to take a firsthand look in a few weeks.
-- Ward
New Mission for MV-22 in Iraq
My close friend and former Marine Corps Times colleague Gordon Lubold had the opportunity to travel to Iraq with Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway over Thanksgiving last week. He now works for the Christian Science Monitor and had a remarkable trip - getting a few great scoops.
But he was also the first reporter to have filed a dispatch from the first operational MV-22 Osprey squadron, VMM-263.
It's a short piece, but we'll keep our eyes out for more coverage as the Corps begins to chip away at its self-imposed media blackout.
Washington and Bahgdad - The US Marine Corps' MV-22 Osprey, the tilt rotor plane that flies like both a helicopter and a plane, is expected to face one of its biggest tests ever this month, flying combat missions for the first time – a major milestone in the Osprey's long history of ups and downs.
After years of investment, controversy, and tragedy, the Osprey finally debuted this fall in Iraq, a low-key deployment of 10 planes that marks the beginning of the Corps' gradual replacement of aging Vietnam-era helicopters.
Commanders have limited the plane's operations to simpler logistical roles. But now it is set to fly combat missions in Anbar Province, where marines are deployed, that will test the plane's ability to maneuver in more sophisticated and dangerous combat missions. The awkward-looking hybrid has two large propellers mounted on nacelles that swing up and down to allow it to take off and land like a helicopter and to fly like a plane. The Osprey's deployment to Iraq has already shown that some components of the complex plane wear-out faster than others. But generally, it's so far, so good, says the Corps' top officer.
"It's a learning experience, and that's why we deployed it here, and part of it was to be able to see just how it performs in combat," says Commandant Gen. James Conway, during a recent trip to Iraq to see the Osprey. General Conway says there is still much to learn, but that he likes what he sees. "What I saw ...is that it is going very well."
The Corps has staked much on the future of the Osprey, which has taken decades to develop and is blamed for the deaths of 23 marines in two separate accidents in 2000. Despite the high-profile nature of the plane, Corps officials have played down its arrival in Iraq this fall.
That may change as marines prepare to employ it in a series of missions called "Aeroscout," in which they use ground and air assets to swarm suspected insurgent and terrorist targets, says Marine Lt. Gen. George Trautman, who heads the Corps' aviation division. General Trautman says the Osprey, which flies faster and farther than the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter it replaces, will allow Corps commanders to conduct more combat missions than they could before.
Trautman conceded that the combat role for the Osprey would be somewhat limited, as much of the insurgency has left the once-dangerous province. Currently, the Osprey is used for "assault support," says one official in Iraq.
But early on in its deployment that began in October, one plane had to make an emergency landing in Jordan and daily reports showed that its "readiness rates" had slipped to as low as 40 percent on one day – 50 percent on two other days. Those lower rates were largely driven by a dearth of replacement parts when Corps officials saw how some components wore out faster in the desert climes of Iraq, where the sand is finer than almost anywhere in the US. Now that Marine officials have been able to identify those parts and get sufficient replacements in stock in Iraq, those readiness rates have climbed back up to close to what Corps officials say is a more comfortable 80 percent.
"It's one thing to use engineering models and forecasting, and it's another to actually run the airplane in that environment," says Trautman. "You're on a learning journey, there is no doubt about that."
Recent media criticism of the plane included the concern that it has no side- or front-mounted weapons systems, leaving it vulnerable to attack. But Trautman says the Corps is looking at a belly-mounted, "all-aspect" gun that would have a 360-degree firing capability.
