09/17/2013: During COUGAR 13, a MV-22 had landed on a British Warship and operated by a British pilot. September 16, 2013, UK exchange pilot LT “Odd Job” Wotten operating with VMX-22 “bounced off” of HMS Illustrious. [slidepress gallery='uk-pilot-operating-mv-22-lands-on-british-warship-during-exercise'] Credit Photos: 26th MEU:9/16/13 According to the Royal Navy: Cougar is the…
04/28/2013: Philippine and US Marines participate in MV-22 movements at Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac Province, Philippines as part of Balikatan 2013. Balikatan 2013 (BK13) is an annual Philippine-U.S. bilateral exercise. Humanitarian assistance and training activities enable the Philippine and American service members to build lasting relationships, train together and provide…
09/22/2012: Marine Corps aircrews begin conducting MV-22 aircraft functional check flights and pilot proficiency flights aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 21, 2012. These flights, which will occur over the next several weeks, will take place mostly over water, with any over land portion conducted within the MCAS…
Shortly after the Bold Alligator 2012 exercise, Second Line of Defense sat down with Lt. Col. Boniface to discuss his experiences during Bold Alligator 2012. As the Osprey squadron commander involved in the exercise, he was in charge of the key toolset, the Osprey, which re-defined the ESG-MEB operationally. Two images…
MV-22 Operates Aboard the USS George H.W. Bush [slidepress gallery='mv-22-traps-aboard-the-uss-george-h-w-bush'] Credit:USN:3/20/12 In the first photo, an MV-22 Osprey flies by the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) as the ship steams through the Atlantic Ocean. George H.W. Bush is in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications. In the…
02/21/2012: MV-22 Ospreys and CH-53E Super Stallions land and take off during Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, the largest amphibious exercise in the past 10 years. The exercise representing the Navy and Marine Corps' revitalization of the full range of amphibious operations while focusing on today's fight with today's forces while…
An important development in the Libyan operation was the use of the MV-22 as the Fed Ex supply link between Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy and the USS Kersarge. In our interview with Lt. Col. Boniface, the new role for the MV-22 was underscored. [caption id="attachment_33768" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="(Feb.…
10/30/2011: A MV-22 Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron VMM-261 (Rein), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, land on the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima Oct. 25, 2011, during the 24th MEU's first at sea period with Amphibious Squadron 8 (PHIBRON 8). The landings are part of the qualification process for…