Hybrid - MV-22 til USN - R&W

US Navy Crew Conducts First Flight of MV-22 Osprey

By Rich Abott, Defense Daily | July 16, 2018

Utility

 
 
 
 
 

For the first time, an all-Navy crew flew an MV-22 Osprey, flying from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, N.C., last week.

The flight on July 12 involved two pilots and two air crewmen from Airborne Command and Control and Logistics Wing Medium Tilt Rotor Training Squadron Detachment (VMTT Det.) 204. Rear Adm. Roy Kelley, commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, accompanied the crew on this first flight.

Kelley told the sailors of VMTT Det. 204 after the flight during an all-hands call that “You are all pioneers and as we move into a new platform and I think you all really have an opportunity to lay the keel for where this community is going to go," according to the Navy.

The Osprey is set to replace the fixed-wing C-2A Greyhound logistics aircraft to enhance the service’s logistics support mission. As it gets integrated to the fleet, the new aircraft will carry personnel, cargo, and mail between aircraft carriers and land-based supply centers.

Last month the Navy awarded Textron's [TXT] Bell division and Boeing [BA] a $4.2 billion contract modification to start building its first 39 CMV-22Bs for the service. The aircraft will be used to transport personnel and cargo to aircraft carriers. The transition is expected to last through 2026 (Defense Daily, July 2).