Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has requested funding in the Air Force’s next six-year spending blueprint to accelerate its purchase of CV-22 tiltrotor Ospreys to eight aircraft per year starting in FY’10, a top official from the command recently said.
AFSOC plans to declare Initial Operational Capability for the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft “no later than next month,” but the command will not have enough CV-22s to support regular deployments for several more years, said Col. J.D. Clem, deputy director of plans, programs, requirements and assessments for AFSOC. He was speaking at a Feb. 11 NDIA conference in Washington.
“Once we declare IOC, that does not necessarily mean that we can sustain an indefinite deployment,” Clem said.
The CV-22 was forward deployed for the first time in October to support Operation Flintlock, a joint training exercise in Africa, officials have said. The Air Force’s 8th Special Operations Squadron flew four CV-22s during a three-week mission there.
“One of the challenges is to make certain that we have enough parts and enough maintainers and enough crews to sustain a deployment and to sustain a long-term Iraqi deployment you have to have more than one set,” said Clem.
AFSOC currently maintains seven operational CV-22s at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and four training platforms at Kirtland AFB, N.M.
The Marine Corps has committed to purchase 360 Ospreys–designated MV-22–while the Navy is to receive 48 V-22s.
“Large numbers” of Ospreys will not enter the AFSOC fleet until the end of fiscal year 2011, according to Clem. A full fleet of 50 would be assembled by 2015 if the proposed acceleration is approved, he said.
Among the other top unfunded priorities for the command, according to Clem, are recapitalization of the MC-130 fleet and the acquisition of a new gunship.
AFSOC was established in 1990 to provide special operations forces for worldwide deployment. The command’s key missions include battlefield air operations, agile combat support, information operations and specialized surveillance and reconnaissance.