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Basing plan chosen for West Coast Ospreys

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The Marine Corps wants to base eight MV-22 Osprey squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego and two others at nearby Camp Pendleton.

That’s the preferred scenario outlined in the service’s final environmental impact statement, which lays out detailed plans for the tilt-rotor aircraft’s arrival on the West Coast as older transport helicopters are phased out starting next year. The report was published in October. When a public comment period ends Nov. 16, the Navy Department will make its decision official.

Across the Corps, aging CH-46E Sea Knights are giving way to the Osprey, which can fly farther and faster than the venerable Vietnam-era Phrogs. Currently the Corps has six active MV-22 squadrons, including a training squadron, all based at MCAS New River, N.C. By the time its transition is complete, around 2020, the Corps expects to have 18 active-duty squadrons, four Reserve squadrons and the one training unit — all spread between North Carolina, California, Hawaii, Japan and Guam.

The first MV-22s based on the West Coast are expected to land at Miramar, where in early October officials redesignated Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 — nicknamed the Greyhawks — Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161.

Under the preferred scenario, Miramar would see a gain of 746 military personnel and 48 aircraft. Pendleton would lose 257 and 18, respectively.

Basing eight Osprey squadrons at Miramar would require three new hangars, four fueling pits, five wash racks and a parking apron.

At Pendleton, the transition would require one new hangar, a wash rack and parking apron, plus renovations to an existing hangar and upgrades to a fuel farm. The construction would be completed by fiscal 2015, the report says.

Required by federal law, the latest environmental report evaluated six West Coast basing scenarios, weighing potential fallout that could accompany additional aircraft and related construction. It looked at everything from noise and air emissions to military operations and bird migration routes.

All told, the report evaluated 15 military installations within 250 miles of Camp Pendleton and considered plans for basing at least 1,980 Marines, along with 120 aircraft, composing eight active-duty and two Reserve squadrons plus their associated logistics units.

MCAS Yuma, Ariz., a major Marine facility about 170 miles east of Miramar, was bypassed in the end — although the air station and nearby Bob Stump Training Complex is likely to host MV-22s during air training exercises.

The plan calls for standing up one new squadron and replacing nine others — seven active-duty units split between Camp Pendleton and Miramar, and two Reserve units, which are headquartered at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles.

The active squadrons all fly CH-46Es. One Reserve unit does too; the other is a deactivated CH-53E heavy-lift squadron.

Both would move from Edwards to either Miramar or Camp Pendleton. Air Force officials say basing MV-22s at Edwards “is not compatible” with its test and evaluation missions, according to report.

A copy of the report is posted online.