Air Force Special Operations Command in developing tactics, techniques, and procedures for its new CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft recently completed a water operations exercise with Navy SEALs. The AFSOC CV-22 carried a “soft duck” boat in its cargo area and flew low and slow—in helicopter mode at 10 feet altitude and 10 knots flight speed—over Lake Jackson in Florala, Ala., dropping the boat out the back, reports TSgt. Kristina Newton. Following the boat were jumpers in what is termed “helocasting.” The exercise also involved a live water-hoisting event. Part of the exercise was to provide training for Osprey pilots, who must use a “heads down hover display” to maintain awareness of the aircraft’s actual position. “The unique characteristic of the CV-22 rotor design creates rotor wash off the nose and tail at 100 knots per hours; this causes the water to move away from you so it appears as if you are flying backwards,” says Capt. Paul Alexander, CV-22 branch chief with the 1st Special Operations Group.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
