Tiltrotors Meet Warthogs In First Joint Exercise
What do you get when you cross an osprey with a warthog? For a
zoologist, the question may seem preposterous... but in Air Force
terms, instead of an odd looking winged-swine hybrid, the result is
immense firepower and unparalleled close-air support capability for
the rapid infiltration and exfiltration of troops in the
battlespace.
For the first time, the tilt-rotor CV-22 Osprey and the
fixed-wing A-10 Thunderbolt II, often nicknamed the Warthog, teamed
up for some high-flying training recently at Hurlburt Field in the
Florida panhandle.
"It is like having a little angel flying on your wing," said
Capt. Luke Sustman, a CV-22 evaluation pilot. "Having these (A-10)
pilots out here gave them a perspective of what we do and how they
help us."
The affinity for their sister aircraft was mutual.
"Impressive," said Capt. Andrew Hood, an A-10 pilot from
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ, after his inaugural flight aboard
a CV-22. "The Osprey definitely revolutionizes the way we
fight."
Captain Hood was one of a handful of A-10 pilots aboard the
Osprey as the two air frames flew and practiced with one another.
Representatives from the 8th Special Operations Squadron invited
several A-10 pilots to fly in the Osprey to experience the unique
airframe and to learn about its unique capabilities.
According to Captain Hood, one advantage of the Osprey is that
it is far superior to traditional helicopters when it comes to
escorting a rescue aircraft to its intended destination, either to
drop off or pick up individuals in the fight.
One large advantage the CV-22 has over traditional rotary wing
assets is the speed at which it is able to operate.
"Most of the time, helicopters go kind of slow," Captain Hood
said. "The CV-22 is almost as fast as we are. It's able to get to
its destination a lot faster (than traditional rotary wing
aircraft)."
"The CV-22 can go twice as fast and twice as far as rotary wing
assets," said Tech. Sgt Erik Davis, a CV-22 flight engineer.
"Speed is a huge usage boost because the A-10 doesn't have to
stay exposed as long when it's providing escort," said Maj. Mike
Holder, a CV-22 evaluation pilot and the mission commander.
The 8th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field is
currently the only operational CV-22 squadron in the Air Force.
Because of their uniqueness, they continually look for ways to
practice and familiarize themselves with other aircraft.
"We are validating everything we talk about on the ground," said
Major Holder. "It's very exciting to be on the cutting edge of
technology for the Air Force."
As someone who has flown helicopters in two branches of the
military, Major Holder understands the benefits of having an
airframe such as the CV-22 Osprey.
"We're defining tactics rather than refining them," said Major
Holder, an Army AH-1 Cobra and AH-64 Apache pilot prior to joining
the Air Force. "We expect to do a lot more (inter-airframe
training)."
The training, although historic, was business as usual for
Sergeant Davis.
"This is another capability that we've shown we can do,"
Sergeant Davis said. "We feel pretty confident in our training with
them, but there are a lot of steps we have to take."
Major Holder is confident his aircraft could survive if called
upon at any time.
"I feel we are 100 percent ready to deploy right now if needed,"
he said. "We recently completed our initial operating training
exercise and (the aircraft) flew great. I'm excited to fly the
Osprey."
(Aero-News thanks 2nd Lt. Mark Lazane, 1st Special
Operations Wing Public Affairs)