The Navy’s V-22 Osprey Demonstrates Its Value in Delivering Aid to Haiti

The U.S. Navy’s V-22 Osprey proved its worth during a recent deployment to Haiti. During the deployment, Naval Aviation Training Support Group (NATSG) personnel left no stone unturned as they interacted with their Marine Corps counterparts. Though interoperability is a hallmark of the armed services, the star of the show was the V-22 Osprey.

“The Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability of the MV-22 meant it could make use of nearby naval warships as a fuel source and that the aircraft was not limited to runways or other prepared surfaces, allowing supplies to be delivered to more remote, unprepared landing zones when and where they were needed,” a U.S. Navy statement covering the deployment explained.

“Additionally, the MV-22’s extended range and higher cruise speed allowed it to complete a greater number of deliveries per day than the supporting helicopters, proving it to be the workhorse of the relief effort,” the statement continued.

“Every aircraft has its pros and cons. What they did to a large degree of success with the V-22 was to try and get the best of both worlds when it comes to a fixed-wing aircraft and a rotary-wing aircraft,” said CMDR. Keith Klosterman, the commanding officer of the NATSG.

The attachment was able to operate out of Guantánamo Bay and was due to the increased range and speed of the V-22. It doesn’t have the heaviest lift capacity in the fleet, but, compared with the speed and range of a normal rotary-wing aircraft, the V-22 absolutely outmatches that, so they were able to be much farther away from the incident, but closer to the supply chain,” Klosterman added.

Though the V-22 Osprey is the Pentagon’s premier long-range tiltrotor aircraft, it is likely just the first of several tiltrotors that will make their way into service. The U.S. Army is also researching a new aircraft of choice, hopes that are pinned on the demonstrated success of the V-22 Osprey. According to the statement, the Navy and Marine Corps deployment flew more than “5,300 nautical miles, transported 320 aid workers and delivered more than 234,100 pounds of life-giving food, water, shelter, and medical supplies in order to meet the needs of the struggling Haitian population.”