Ospreys enter Afghanistan with more firepower - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Ospreys enter Afghanistan with more firepower

The MV-22 Osprey is in Afghanistan and ready to fight.

Ten aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 arrived at Camp Bastion in November and were promptly transferred to VMM-261 out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., the first-ever Osprey squadron deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They were flown into Helmand province from the amphibious assault ship Bataan, which along with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit was afloat about 600 miles away in the Gulf of Oman. The trip took about two hours. Reports also state that the Osprey saw action Friday as Marines and Afghan forces began a major assault in Helmand province, one of their first — if not the first — operational uses in Afghanistan.

The Corps is quick to tout the Osprey’s impressive range and speed, but critics have long argued that the MV-22, armed only with a 7.62mm M240 machine gun pointed out its rear ramp, can’t sufficiently defend itself in a hot landing zone. That’s no longer a concern, officials say, as these birds pack significantly more firepower.

Ospreys in Afghanistan will be armed with a 7.62mm belly-mounted turret gun, known as the Interim Defense Weapon System, capable of shooting 360 degrees around the aircraft. Additionally, the ramp-mounted M240 was upgraded to a .50-cal. They’ll need that extra potency to counter threats on the ground, which range in sophistication from advanced surface-to-air defense systems to crude shoulder-fired rockets.

The Corps has only eight belly guns. Five are in Afghanistan, and three will remain stateside for training and testing. Maintainers can load and unload the 800-pound system in eight hours, though it is likely to remain on the same aircraft for the duration of the time it is in theater, said Capt. Craig Thomas, a Marine spokesman.

To operate the weapon, a Marine gunner will use a controller, similar to one used to play a video game. He’ll acquire targets using a monitor that is fed color images from a forward-looking infrared sensor mounted beneath the aircraft.

During its 19-month deployment to Iraq, which ended earlier this year, the Osprey was frequently accompanied in missions by AH-1 Cobra gunships and UH-1N Hueys, which provided fire support when necessary. Despite the addition of a belly gun, it’s unlikely the Osprey will be making many solo flights in Afghanistan, said Col. Kevin Vest, who commands Marine Aircraft Group 40, the Corps’ aviation element in Afghanistan.

“There are times when the Osprey will fly solo, just like the C-130 does, but generally no aircraft flies alone,” he said. “When we are going someplace where we perceive there is going to be a threat, I will use everything at my disposal. The AV-8B [Harriers] will provide overhead surveillance, the C-130 will be used to fuel and for command and control, and the Cobra and [new UH-1Y Huey] will provide fire support.”

The Corps considers the IDWS belly gun an interim solution. It will be closely scrutinized throughout the Osprey’s deployment and may evolve in the long run, said Col. Greg Masiello, the MV-22 program manager at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.