Ospreys for HMX-1 will include VIP upgrades - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Ospreys for HMX-1 will include VIP upgrades

Some MV-22 Osprey passengers could soon fly in style.

Marine Corps Helicopter Squadron 1 — better known as HMX-1 — out of Quantico, Va., is set to receive four VIP kits that will effectively turn the tilt-rotor transports into executive aircraft suitable for diplomats and dignitaries, presidential staff and other very important people.

The Marine Corps is accepting proposals through August from companies to build and deliver the new kits. Ospreys are tentatively set to begin arriving at HMX-1 in 2013.

VIP kits will outfit Osprey aircraft with green interior walls and a ceiling that will hide the tangle of wires, cords, tubes and pipes inside the medium-lift aircraft, according to the solicitation.

Black covers will give the canvas and metal seats that line each wall a sleeker look and more comfort. Matching black carpet will be added. Boarding passengers will be welcomed by the HMX-1 unit logo emblazoned on the rear ramp’s carpeting.

The kits are to be installed without any permanent modifications.

“The VIP kits are a cosmetic addition to the cabin that will enhance the appearance and comfort of a utility aircraft, and can be installed or removed in a matter of minutes,” said 1st Lt. Scott Villiard, a Quantico spokesman.

The order includes carrying cases for all components so they can be stripped, transported or stored, and reinstalled when needed.

The tricked-out Ospreys will still be austere, at least by corporate jet standards. The kit solicitation has no calls for mini-fridges, chilled champagne or traveling humidors.

They will pale in comparison to Air Force One, which has kitchen facilities, a bedroom and ample work space. But a few walls, carpet and seat covers are still better than staring at hydraulic lines and sweating in a scratchy seat.

With VIP Ospreys in the works for HMX-1, one of the first questions is, “Will the president fly in it?” The answer is no.

“The Osprey will not carry out the ‘white side’ mission,” Villiard said, referring to presidential transport.

They will carry out what are called “green side” missions. Those can include transporting equipment and personnel associated with presidential travel, but the president only rides on one of two custom-designed helicopter models — the older Sikorsky VH-3D and the newer VH-60N, a modified Black Hawk.

Other green side missions include supporting field training for The Basic School or Officer Candidates School at Quantico, cargo transport and shuttling Defense Department VIPs around the Washington, D.C., region.

The Osprey is intended to replace the unit’s aging Vietnam-era CH-46E helicopters slated for retirement in the coming years. HMX-1 also used those aircraft for presidential support missions.