The V-22 Osprey is in fact operating in Iraq, as has been questioned. The short video clip below is a cut of a longer story about a USN SeaBee battalion searching for water. Water is scarce in Iraq. It seems everywhere you drill for water you end up finding oil.

The cut shows two of these planes landing, which means they do actually fly over there. It takes no special skill to observe the level of sand scour created by the landing.

In related Osprey news, we’ve noted in the past that the V-22 Osprey is remarkably unprotected for a combat assault vehicle.

The machine itself is a big step forward for the Corps and I know we’re all rooting for it to deliver the snuffies somewhere near the crash and clangor of battle – but not too close, since they only carry one .30 machine gun for defensive fire, and the rear ramp has to be lowered to use it. Current plans are to fly near the battle site and unload the troops there and let them march to the sound of the guns, as Napoleon ordered his generals 200 years ago.

Because of this rather depressing lack of defensive fire, the Marines had apparently planned to either escort the Ospreys with their SuperCobra attack helicopters and pound the sand out of the LZ before landing or land some distance away and walk in to the fighting. Ex-Corporal of the Marines Gordon has opined this is the way things are done in the Corps. Having some slight experience in visiting strange lands with hostile inhabitants by helicopter I think you want to get as close as possible to the “point off interest” and start your tourism there. If you land four or five klicks away you have to carry all your extra stuff with you, and you risk encountering some toll booths the unfriendly locals might have set up before you get to where you want to be. If you ask for some new supplies the Ospreys will have to drop them off at a safer distant point and then someone has to walk that ammo resupply in.

Having your resupply near at hand when you need it: priceless. The Marines know all this, because the institutional memory of opposed landings is pretty strong. Marine LTG John G Castellaw was interviewed recently by Stars and Stripes.

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey might be getting more firepower.

The aircraft, which is currently making its combat-zone debut in Iraq, has the ability to hover like a helicopter and fly like a fixed-wing aircraft. It is meant to replace CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, the Corps’ aging workhorse.

Ospreys come equipped with a gun at the ramp in the rear of the aircraft, but they might also get a gun with a 360-degree field of fire, said Marine Lt. Gen. John G. Castellaw.

“One of the options would be to install within what we call the ‘hell-hole’ — but that, that’s where the cargo hook is — a gun in there that would have the ability to shoot 360,” said Castellaw, deputy commandant for programs and resources.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Castellaw said the Osprey has significant advantages over the Sea Knight, most notably its speed and ability to climb rapidly, which means it requires less in the way of defensive systems.

“I told you I’m a -46 pilot; you know, the reason, the main reason I got .50 cals that are on either side (of the CH-46) is when I go into the zone, because I’m so slow and my acceleration rate is just a little bit better than a Volkswagen, then I want something that’s going to keep their heads down until I get enough speed and get away from there,” he said.

I’m pretty sure the “hell-hole” would be on the bottom of the craft. Think of a belly turret on a WWII bomber. However, (just guessing here,) this would be the right place for one of those Common Remotely Operated Weapon Stations (CROWS) stations that are being retrofitted onto US Army HumVees. You can see two photos here, and read the backstory here.

Speaking about speed, and the danger of hostile fire, LTG Castellaw said,

Not only can Ospreys get out of the path of the bullet quicker, but they are also built to take hits, Castellaw said.

I was always under the impression that planes are not built to take hits. I’ve seen helicopters take rounds through the oil cooler and the transmission, at which point they attain the aeronautical stability of a rock. I have the impression that these Ospreys are on the leading edge of flight stability, and I wonder how well they’d handle taking fire. Let’s not find out.

I think with time the Corps will realize that the V-22 is an unhappy compromise. They needed to replace a badly aged transportation fleet and Boeing/Bell has a nifty new experiment they wanted to try. Still, the V-22 has only been in development for 25 years, and the CH-46 helicopter flew for the Marines for 36 years. There’s lots of time to develop operational doctrine as experience improves.