WASHINGTON – V-22 Osprey manufacturer Bell Boeing V-22 successfully tested its forward-firing capability last month at the Army Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona, it was announced Monday.
Company officials said the test showed the V-22 can be armed with a variety of forward-facing munitions and can hit targets with a high degree of reliability. That will reduce the Osprey's reliance on forward arming and refueling points, which are sometimes necessary to supply short-range attack rotorcraft in support of V-22 operations.
Vince Tobin, vice president and program manager for the Bell Boeing V-22, said this would allow the V-22 to be launched more frequently and on shorter notice.
The company released a 12-second video which shows a rocket firing with a puff of smoke.
Forward-facing weapons and armor protection are among several quick-turnaround upgrades that U.S. Special Operations Command is pursuing after three Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Ospreys were shot up over Juba, South Sudan, a year ago, a program official said in May.
The V-22 is a tilt-rotor, multimission transport aircraft capable of moving 24 combat troops, 20,000 pounds of internal cargo or up to 15,000 pounds of external cargo.
Through the end of the third quarter of 2014, Bell Boeing has delivered 242 MV-22 tilt rotors for the Marine Corps and 44 CV-22s for AFSOC. Bell Helicopter began initial design work on forward fire capability in mid-2013.
Joe Gould was the senior Pentagon reporter for Defense News, covering the intersection of national security policy, politics and the defense industry. He had previously served as Congress reporter.
