MV-22 Used in Marine Force Recon Raid - Excellent Details!

[ChuckMK23]

Excellent article over at the Kit Up Blog detailing USMC MV-22 ops in the Marjah campaign - specifically detailing some juicy details of V-22 supporting USMC Force Recon:

Ospreys back as a QRF in case the Taliban tried to make trouble in far off spots of the AO while 4,000 Marines were committed to Marjah

Osprey came under fire from RPGs and small arms

V-22 used to insert joint Force Recon/ANA team

3 of the Ospreys in theater have the BEA Systems Remote Guardian underbelly gun system, with two more yet to be installed

Article here:

http://kitup.military.com/2010/02/osprey-used-in-marine-force-recon-raid.html

 

[phrogpilot73]

Nice picture, but if I learned anything from my time in the Battalion - those are straight leg infantry, not force recon. Damn file photos...

 

[PropAddict]

^^^^Okay, I'll bite. What are the recce cues in this pic?

The amount of gear? All the mismatched gear?

 

[mmx1]

SWAG, but their gear looks pretty standard issue; that's the tipoff is my guess.

 

[Stearmann4]

Good on em' no matter who they were infilling, at least they used it for the purpose it advertised for. Meanwhile, AFSOC who have had their CV-22s operational for longer than the Marines, have yet to leave the safety of Kirtland AFB while awaiting for the Osprey edition of their ascots to arrive.

 

[phrogpilot73]

There's a littany of things tipping me off, but here's the big - ticket items...

1. Boots, they're wearing issue boots. I've NEVER met a Force Recon bubba wearing anything other than Oakley boots.
2. Helmets. Every Force guy I've ever met wore a painted helmet with a built-in mount for NVGs. No helmet covers. Dead giveaway.
3. SAWs. I don't even know if Force has SAWs on their T/E. I've never seen them with SAWs. Ever.
4. Complete lack of comm gear. Every swinging dick in Force is carrying either an ICOM, a PRC-148, or a PRC-117.

 

[ChuckMK23]

I agree it's a stock photo - the important thing is to read the articles:

http://kitup.military.com/2010/02/osprey-used-in-marine-force-recon-raid.html

http://www.military.com/news/article/marines-dropped-behind-taliban-lines.html

 

[Birdog8585]

3 of the Ospreys in theater have the BEA Systems Remote Guardian underbelly gun system, with two more yet to be installed

When are they gonna get that 7.62 out and insert this MOFO - GAU-19/A .50 cal aka "GECAL 50" ???

 

[phrogpilot73]

When are they gonna get that 7.62 out and insert this MOFO - GAU-19/A .50 cal aka "GECAL 50" ???

Settle down junior. In case you didn't realize, the V-22 is an assault support platform. You aren't going to go hook-and-jab with the enemy. The weapons on board are so that you can disengage and get some sort of escort platform inbound. Think differently, and you're setting yourself (and the Marines in back) up for failure.

 

[Feet Wet]

That is an old photo from VMM-266 in Iraq. VMM-261 is the squadron currently operating in Afghanistan.....thus the questions regarding the picture not matching the blog.

 

[SynixMan]

Saw the note at the bottom of the article about the MV-22 armed kit being deployed finally. I'm interested in hearing what the response is to it.

 

[lowflier03]

When are they gonna get that 7.62 out and insert this MOFO - GAU-19/A .50 cal aka "GECAL 50" ???

While that might be nice for a ground unit, or look cool in an internet video, there are more factors involved in installing that in an airframe. My first thought is, no f'n way someone is going to be able to carry enough ammo onboard to get real use out of that thing. .50 rounds ain't light. And if you're going to go for medium firepower like that, then there are other calibers/weapons systems already fielded.

 

[Stearmann4]

.50 rounds ain't light. And if you're going to go for medium firepower like that, then there are other calibers/weapons systems already fielded.

We experimented with the GAU a while back. No prob;ems carrying ammo, etc, but we just couldn't beef up the airframe enough to stand up to the vibration and harmonics. the .50s don't really anything the 7.62s can't... from the air anyway.

MR-

 

[USMC0341CPL]

3. SAWs. I don't even know if Force has SAWs on their T/E. I've never seen them with SAWs. Ever.

ya, recon has saws, they are chopped down though with shorter barrels and telescoptic stocks.

 

[ChuckMK23]

New photos are out boys - of the real deal raid. Courtesy of the PAO at Camp Leatherneck:

http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=images/images_gallery.php&action=viewimage&fid=253498

Marines from 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, make their way toward three MV-22 Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 40, MEB-Afghanistan, that will insert them into Marjah to help provide relief to an infantry battalion that had been engaged in a heavy firefight, Feb. 19.