Ospreys on the Move: Air Force
Special Operations Command will not start relocating the first of 10 CV-22 Ospreys to RAF Mildenhall, Britain, until next summer, AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel told reporters during AFA’s Air & Space Conference Sept. 18. The first two-ship formation is expected to arrive by July and will be followed by another three-ship package about two months later, he said. The move was delayed about one year because five CV-22s originally slated for Mildenhall were in Afghanistan, he said. Eventually there will be 10 Ospreys forward-based in the UK and 10 more somewhere in the Pacific. The Pacific birds are expected to begin arriving at their new location in summer 2014, but Fiel said AFSOC is still finalizing those details with the joint staff.
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…