Finally, The Osprey

摘要

In the endgame to a struggle that has spanned some three decades, Air Force special operations forces are about to acquire the advantages conferred by a unique new aircraft-one that, in a sense, sprang up from the fiery, long-ago Desert One disaster in Iran. Plans call for Air Force Special Operations Command early this year to declare operational the first squadron of CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. The Osprey is the SOF variant of a hybrid with the speed and range of fixed wing transport plus the landing capability of a helicopter. Availability of such an aircraft on April 24, 1980 might have prevented Desert One. The plan to rescue American hostages in Iran was made overly complex and dangerous by the need to use short-legged helicopters. In a desert refueling stop, an RH-53 chopper struck a US AF C-130, causing a fire that killed eight servicemen.