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usafphantom2 · 2 months

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Without the CMV-22, the U.S. Navy needs 15 former C-2A to carry out missions aboard the aircraft carriers

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/20/2024 - 20:58in Military

The uncertainty of the return of the tiltrotor V-22 to full operation is leading the U.S. Navy to rethink its plans on how to refuel its aircraft carrier fleet in the short term, with more uncertainty in the long term, and the remaining C-2A Greyhounds become essential.

The service had initially planned to retire its remaining 15 C-2A Greyhound onboard delivery (COD) aircraft in the next two years and replace them with a total of 38 CMV-22B Ospreys, which DOT&E reported "not to be operationally adequate".

“For the luck of the Navy, the C-2 Greyhound is still available,” said Vice Admiral Air Boss Daniel Cheever at a panel at the WEST 2024 conference, co-organized by the U.S. Naval Institute and the AFCEA. "Limited operational impacts at this time, but there are still operational impacts. And when you look to the future, there are significant operational impacts."

As part of the Greyhounds' planned retirement, the U.S. Navy stopped training new C-2 pilots and began to reduce spare parts and logistical support for the 60-year project.

This transition, completed on the West Coast, is now paralyzed with the grounding of the V-22 in the U.S. Marines, Navy and Air Force after the fall of a USAF Special Operations MV-22 off the coast of Japan late last year.

The grounding of the Ospreys has already been out of operation for 75 days, with no indication of how long the grounding can continue.

CMV-22B Osprey.

The suspension of operation of the tiltrotors forced the U.S. Navy to exchange the V-22 aboard the West Coast aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) for the C-2As of the East Coast Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40, the "Rawhides".

"The VRC-40 is currently emerging to fulfill the mission [COD] for aircraft carriers deployed in the 5ª and 7ª U.S. Fleets," says a statement from the Naval Air Forces. "There was no change in the planned retirement of C-2A for 2026."

Although there is still no change in the plan for the C-2, there is little indication of any of the forces for how long the V-22 will be able to remain out of service. After the initial grounding of the fleet, there was very limited information about the underlying cause of the grounding, in addition to a "potential material failure".

For the Marines, the situation is more terrible, said Lieutenant Karsten Heckl during the panel. He said that the operations of the 31ª Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Japan, the 26º MEU deployed in the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the 15º MEU that is preparing to be deployed aboard the Boxer ARG had "dramatic impacts".

Navy officers said that Marines are allowed to use Ospreys deployed aboard the Bataan ARG in specific emergency situations. A main mission of the 26º MEU, currently deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean, is the evacuation of non-combatants from Lebanon.

Last month, the Assistant Commander of the Marine Corps, General Chris Mahoney, said that the Force risks losing proficiency with the aircraft the longer it stays on the ground.

"At some point, if a pilot does not fly, if a maintainer does not turn a wrench, if an observer or crew chief is not exercising his profession, this will become a matter of competence and then there will be a matter of safety," he said.

Tags: Military AviationCMV-22B OspreyGrumman C-2 GreyhoundUSN - United States Navy/U.S. Navy

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Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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thelastdiadoch · 7 years

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KING COTYS IV OF ODRYSIA (THRACIAN) AND THE THIRD MACEDONIAN WAR (171-168 BCE) AGAINST ROME

This is an excerpt from my post, ‘THRACIANS, REAPERS OF THE BALKANS’.

The Macedonians and Romans clashed in two major conflicts known as the First and Second Macedonian Wars. The Thracians were divided with some of the more “wild” tribes siding with the Romans in 172 BCE while the more “civilized” Odrysians under their king, Cotys IV, sided with the Macedonians.

“Cotys was a man of distinguished appearance and of great ability in military affairs, and besides, quite unlike a Thracian in character. For he was of sober habits, and gave evidence of a gentleness of temper and a steadiness of disposition worthy of a man of gentle birth.” – Histories by Polybius, 27.12.

“Cotys, king of the Thracians, was a man who in matters of warfare moved with vigor and was superior in judgement, and who in other respects as well was responsible and deserving of friendship. He was abstinent and circumspect in the highest degree, and most important of all, was completely exempt from the besetting vices of the Thracian people.” – The Library of History by Diodorus Siculus, 30.3.1.

Battle or Kallinikos (171 BCE):

When the Third Macedonian War (171-168 BC) broke out between Rome and Macedon the Odrysians proved to be valuable assets as they were instrumental in the Battle of Kallinikos (171 BCE). Cotys IV formed the Macedonian king’s left wing with his army of Thracian cavalrymen and light infantrymen, after the initial ranged skirmish “the Thracians, like wild beasts kept in cages and suddenly released, set up a deafening roar and charged the Italian cavalry on the right wing with such fury that, in spite of their experience of war and their native fearlessness, they threw them into disorder. [3] The infantry on both sides snapped the lances of the cavalry with their swords, cut at the legs of the horses and stabbed them in the flanks” (Livy, 42.59.2-3).

In the end the battle resulted in a stalemate but it is seen as a Macedonian victory since they only lost 20 cavalrymen and 40 infantry while the Romans lost 200 cavalrymen, 2000 infantrymen, and 600 other were imprisoned.

“On their return to camp the victors were all in high spirits, but the Thracians surpassed all in the insolence of their joy. They returned to camp singing and carrying the heads of their enemies fixed on their spears.” – The History of Romeby Titus Livius (Livy), 42.60.2.

^ Osprey – ‘Men-at-Arms’ series, issue 360 – The Thracians, 700 BC-AD 46 by Christopher Webber and Angus McBride (Illustrator). Plate F: The Kallinikos Skirmish, 171 BC – “Livy says that the victorious Thracian troops returned to their camp swaggering singing and dancing, with severed Roman heads on their rhomphaias as trophies.” F1: Thracian infantryman – “He has the late 4th century shield, Chalkidian helmet, and greaves found in the Dolna Koznitza mound near Kyustendil, together with a rhomphaia and the black tunic described by Plutarch. The Thracians at Pydna may have looked like this, as they are described with ‘glittering’ shields and black tunics. Alternatively, this bronze-faced shield may be a parade piece – instead he might carry an ordinary white thureos.” F2: Thracian slinger– “There are only rare mentions and no known depictions of Thracian slingers, and this reconstruction is based on an auxiliary slinger from Trajan’s Column.” F3: Thracian infantryman – “This figure is shown in the clothes worn by a hunter in the Alexandrovo tomb paintings, and armor and equipment found together in the Blagoevgrads region of Bulgaria: bronze Thracian helmet, bronze greaves, three bronze torques, and an iron rhomphaia. They are dated to around the end of the 4th century. He carries an oval thureos like those shown in the Kazanluk tomb paintings. The rhomphaia had a large ring in the centre, which could have been used for a carrying strap.”

Battle of Pydna (168 BCE):

After aiding the Macedonians Cotys IV had to return to his realm since it was invaded by a rival Thracian king named Autlesbis who was backed by the Attalid (Attalid dynasty of Pergamon, an ally of Rome) officer Corragus. After these troubles in Thrace were quelled by the Thraco-Macedonian alliance, Cotys returned to the side of the Macedonians where he would once again aid them against the Romans at the famed Battle of Pydna in 168 BCE. The night before the battle that would decide the fate of Macedon and Thrace there was a lunar eclipse which according to Plutarch was believed by the Macedonians to foreshadow the fall of the Macedonian king.

“[7] Now, when night had come, and the soldiers, after supper, were betaking themselves to rest and sleep, on a sudden the moon, which was full and high in the heavens, grew dark, lost its light, took on all sorts of colors in succession, and finally disappeared. [8] The Romans, according to their custom, tried to call her light back by the clashing of bronze utensils and by holding up many blazing fire-brands and torches towards the heavens; the Macedonians, however, did nothing of this sort, but amazement and terror possessed their camp, and a rumor quietly spread among many of them that the portent signified an eclipse of a king.” – The Parallel Lives (The Life of Aemilius Paulus) by Plutarch, 17.7-8.

How the battle commenced on the next day varies but I’ll just mention the one which gives the Thracians a more prominent role. A Roman mule broke for the nearby river which divided the two armies and from which both drank. When three Roman soldiers went to retrieve it they saw two Thracian soldiers drawing the mule onto their side of the river. The Romans crossed the river, killed one of the Thracians and reclaimed the mule. A group of 800 Thracians who were guarding the bank witnessed the slaying of their comrade so “[9] enraged at seeing a comrade killed before their eyes, ran across the river in pursuit of those who slew him; [10] then more joined in and at last the whole body” (History of Rome by Livy, 44.40.9-10).

“First the Thracians advanced, whose appearance, Nasica says, was most terrible, — men of lofty stature, clad in tunics which showed black beneath the white and gleaming armor of their shields and greaves, and tossing high on their right shoulders battle-axes with heavy iron heads.” – The Parallel Lives (The Life of Aemilius Paulus) by Plutarch, 18.3 or 5.

From this engagement the battle had commenced. The Macedonians lost decisively as their infantrymen crumbled “to pieces like a falling house” (Livy, 44.41) which led the Macedonian and Odrysian kings fleeing the field with their cavalrymen. The Roman pursuit was hampered by their massacring of the enemy infantrymen.

“It is universally admitted that never had so many Macedonians been killed by the Romans in a single battle. As many as 20,000 men perished; 6000 who had fled to Pydna fell into the enemy’s hands, and 5000 were made prisoners in their flight.” – The History of Rome by Titus Livius (Livy), 44.42.7.

For the most part, the Third Macedonian War ended after this battle. King Perseus of Macedon eventually gave himself up to the Romans who paraded him in chains as their captive during the triumph celebrating their victory over Macedon. Perseus was placed under house arrest until his death shortly after. The Antigonid dynasty which was founded by Alexander’s diadoch Antigonus I Monophthalmus back in 306 BCE reached its end with Perseus of Macedon.

^ Perseus surrenders to Paullus by Jean-François Pierre Peyron (1802).

Cotys IV also felt the bitter sting of defeat when the Romans took his son captive along with Perseus and the latter’s family, sending them off to Italy. With Macedon subdued and his son held captive, Cotys made this wise decision to accept the new power shift by sending an embassy to the Romans asking for an alliance with the Romans and the return of his son.

The Macedonians once again rose up in rebellion under a pretender named Andriscus. In the end, the fourth and final Macedonian War was won by the Romans and resulted in the subjugation of Macedon in 148 BCE. Two years later the Romans establishment of the Roman province of Macedonia which encompassed Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus and Paeonia as well as southwestern Thrace, and coastal and southern Illyria. The Thracians however, along with their Celtic and Illyrian neighbors, continued to harass the new Roman possessions.

After the Macedonian Wars, the Thracians are mentioned less and less until they eventually faded back into the shadows of history. Today few have ever heard of the Thracians and even less know much about them. These “barbarians” who lived on the edges of the “civilized” world of the Greeks and Macedonians made a name for themselves nonetheless. The mere mention of them conjured up thoughts of a foreign, savage, and brutal society of warriors bent on plunder and revelry. They were reviled and feared but were admired for their brave and hardy nature and eagerly sought after by kings and commanders. In the end, the Thracians were victims of a history written by their enemies and outsiders. Let us not forget that the Thracians inspired the use of the pelte shield and the light infantrymen known as peltasts, their caps inspired the Phrygian/Thracian helmets created by the Greeks and Macedonians, supposedly inspired the Athenian general Iphicrates’ reforms, invented the cavalry wedge formation implemented by Philip II and his son Alexander the Great and revolutionized the religious practices and beliefs of the classical Greek and Hellenistic world.

Head over to my post, ‘THRACIANS, REAPERS OF THE BALKANS’, to learn about their culture, religion, weaponry, armors, battle tactics, and their influence on the ancient world. Their history as well, from the tales in the Iliad to the era of the Greco-Persian Wars, and the rise of Macedon under Philip II and his son Alexander the Great.

#thracian #history #thrace #roman #rome

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courtneytincher · 5 years

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Bell-Boeing awarded $144m contract for V-22 support

Pentagon has contracted a joint venture of Boeing and Bell Helicopter to provide support for the V-22 platform.

The Bell Boeing Joint Program Office has been awarded an estimated $143,863,184 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for performance-based logistics and engineering support for the V-22 platform. This is an 11-month base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and Pennsylvania for V-22 aircraft belonging to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“As one of the most in-demand assets for the U.S. military, the V-22 needs a support team that understands the technical aspects of the aircraft as well as customers’ operational needs,” said Pat Walsh, retired Admiral and Boeing vice president for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Services. “Bell Boeing is excited to bring our OEM expertise to the V-22 fleet and deliver solutions that help ensure the aircraft are ready for any mission.”

In July, Bell Boeing received a $4 billion contract that included the manufacture and delivery of 39 CMV-22B aircraft for the Navy; 14 MV-22B aircraft for the Marine Corps; and one CV-22B for the Air Force.

Under this performance-based logistics (PBL) contract, which expands on work done since 2008 and now adds support for the Navy’s CMV-22B variant, Bell Boeing will focus on improving aircraft maintainability and mission readiness for the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps V-22 fleets. The team’s responsibilities include site activation, maintenance planning, training and trainer support, support equipment, and dedicated field personnel for all V-22 squadrons around the globe. Bell Boeing incorporates data analytics into maintenance efforts, yielding innovative approaches such as predictive and condition-based maintenance to improve aircraft availability and readiness.

”The Bell Boeing team is dedicated to providing the safest and most reliable aircraft to the warfighter,” said Chris Gehler, Bell Vice President for the V-22 Program. “We will continue to produce innovative solutions and deliver technical expertise, training, and maintenance to enhance readiness.”

The Bell Boeing V-22 is the world’s first production tiltrotor aircraft, successfully blending the vertical flight capability of a helicopter with the speed, range, altitude and endurance of an airplane.

This unique combination provides the warfighter with an unprecedented advantage. This allows more effective mission execution and realization of missions previously unachievable in one aircraft.

Comprehensively tested and currently in full-rate production, the Bell Boeing V-22 has proven to be a survivable and transformational platform in the most challenging environments on the planet.

The Osprey has already proven its capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, amphibious assault and medical evacuation missions.

from Defence Blog

Pentagon has contracted a joint venture of Boeing and Bell Helicopter to provide support for the V-22 platform.

This unique combination provides the warfighter with an unprecedented advantage. This allows more effective mission execution and realization of missions previously unachievable in one aircraft.

Comprehensively tested and currently in full-rate production, the Bell Boeing V-22 has proven to be a survivable and transformational platform in the most challenging environments on the planet.

The Osprey has already proven its capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, amphibious assault and medical evacuation missions.

via IFTTT

#Defence Blog

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courtneytincher · 5 years

Text

Bell-Boeing awarded $144m contract for V-22 support

Pentagon has contracted a joint venture of Boeing and Bell Helicopter to provide support for the V-22 platform.

This unique combination provides the warfighter with an unprecedented advantage. This allows more effective mission execution and realization of missions previously unachievable in one aircraft.

Comprehensively tested and currently in full-rate production, the Bell Boeing V-22 has proven to be a survivable and transformational platform in the most challenging environments on the planet.

The Osprey has already proven its capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, amphibious assault and medical evacuation missions.

from Defence Blog

Pentagon has contracted a joint venture of Boeing and Bell Helicopter to provide support for the V-22 platform.

This unique combination provides the warfighter with an unprecedented advantage. This allows more effective mission execution and realization of missions previously unachievable in one aircraft.

Comprehensively tested and currently in full-rate production, the Bell Boeing V-22 has proven to be a survivable and transformational platform in the most challenging environments on the planet.

The Osprey has already proven its capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, amphibious assault and medical evacuation missions.

via IFTTT

#Defence Blog

0 notes