A release from the Marines says that 3 V-22 Ospreys will be deployed to Guam. The training exercise will begin this THURSDAY and run through December 18th.
About 700 personnel will participate in the training on Guam, 100 will participate on Tinian. The exercise will involve training on the CNMI island of Farallon de Medinilla as well.
The release emphasizes that the Ospreys is "a highly-capable aircraft with an excellent operational safety record" and its use during this excercise "provides a unique opportunity for MAG-12 to incorporate the diverse capabilities of the aircraft into MAG-level exercises."
"This is the first exercise that the Ospreys have participated in" since they replaced the Marines "aging CH-46 helicopters in Okinawa" states the release adding that it is "important that the MAW execute the unique capabilities that the MV-22 brings."
READ the release from the U.S. Marine Corp in FULL below:
FORAGER FURY 2012 (FF12) will take place from Nov. 29 to Dec. 18 on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Tinian's West Field, and Farallon De Medinilla Target Range. FF 12 is firmly grounded in the successes and lessons learned from exercise GEIGER FURY 2012, which was conducted by Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, on the Marianna Island Range Complex during May of 2012.
FF 12 is named after Operation Forager, which was a World War II offensive launched by the United States against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944.
During FF 12, Anderson AFB will serve as the MAG-12 forward operating base and will be the venue for the MAG-12 operations center. Training on Tinian's West Field includes emplacement of arresting gear and fuel storage/distribution for purposes of extending aviation training throughout the MIRC.
FF 12 is an aviation training relocation (ATR) event intended to meet U.S.-Japan bilateral goals by dispersing the training to other areas and
increased operational readiness.
Approximately 700 personnel will participate in the ATR training on Guam and around 100 personnel will participate in the exercise on Tinian. Marines and sailors from MAG- 12 will also participate in various events in the local community during their stay on Tinian and Guam.
Personnel will participate from Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12), 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) Marine Aerial Refueling Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152), 1st MAW, III MEF; Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18), 1st MAW, III MEF; Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265), 1st MAW, III MEF; 5th Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (5th ANGLICO), III MEF; 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion (3rd Recon Bn), 3rd Marine Division (3rd MARDIV), III MEF; and an element of 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd MARDIV, III MEF.
FF 12 provides an excellent opportunity for Marine forces to demonstrate their ability to displace rapidly and generate significant combat power in an expeditionary environment. Additionally, FF 12 will allow MAG-12 to improve aviation combat integration across all echelons of the Marine Air Ground Task Force and heighten expeditionary readiness.
The inclusion of three MV-22B Ospreys from VMM-265 provides a unique opportunity for MAG-12 to incorporate the diverse capabilities of the aircraft into MAG-level exercises.
This is the first exercise that the Ospreys have participated in since they have replaced our aging CH-46 helicopters in Okinawa and it is important that the MAW execute the unique capabilities that the MV-22 brings.
The MV-22 is a highly-capable aircraft with an excellent operational safety record. The aircraft combines the vertical capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its proprotors in vertical position, it can take-off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne,
its proprotors can be rotated to transition the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight.
The MV-22 was chosen to replace the CH-46 to introduce a revolutionary change in capabilities absent in helicopters - a leap forward in speed, payload and range. When compared to a CH-46, the MV-22 is roughly twice as fast, can carry nearly three times the payload and has approximately four times the combat radius. Additionally, the MV-22 has the ability to operate at much higher altitudes and refuel while airborne.
The vertical take-off and landing capability of the MV-22, combined with increased speed and extended range enables the squadron to provide assault support transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment during expeditionary, joint or combined operations. Training enables the squadron to respond to short-notice, worldwide employment in support of Marine Air-Ground Task Force operations.
Since October 2003, MV-22s have successfully assisted in humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations in Haiti, participated in the recovery of a downed U.S. pilot in Libya, supported combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and conducted multiple Marine Expeditionary Unit(MEU) deployments.
MV-22 aircraft will operate primarily out of Andersen AB, but will execute missions throughout the MIRC and Northern Marianna Islands in order to exercise the diverse capabilities the aircraft brings to the MAW.
F/A-18 Hornets assigned to three United States Marine Corps squadrons will be operating out of Andersen Air Force Base. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (All-Weather) 225 (VMFA(AW)-225), nicknamed the "Vikings" and Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 (VMFA(AW)-224), nicknamed the "Bengals" are squadrons based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW).
VMFA(AW)-225 and VMFA(AW)-224 are currently in the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) to participate in the Unit Deployment Program (UDP) at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
Marine All- Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 (VMFA(AW)-242) known as the "Bats", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW).
All of the training will be conducted within the scope of Environmental Impact Statements and in accordance with the existing MIRC training manual.
See Full Article: http://www.pacificnewscenter.com
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