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| V-22 Osprey |
It is disturbing news for Okinawa, as USMC is planning to deploy Ospreys in Henoko and Takae, two places in Northern Okinawa where military expansion is planned despite the opposition from local residents. Okinawans are worried, not just about their noise, but about the reported risk of accidents by Ospreys. A recent Pentagon report (below) also indicated the continuing unreliability of the aircraft due to "cracking or prematurely failing hinges and access doors, engine and drive components within the nacelle structure, flight control system failures, wiring and swashplate actuators." The aircraft killed thirty people during the course of development, and killed four in a crash in Afghanistan in April 2010.
In late December, a US helicopter hovered over and damaged the protesters' tent in Takae, where US/Japan are planning to build six new helipads (Osprey-capable) surrounding a residential area, but the authorities have not even confirmed that it was a US Marine helicopter that did it. It is unacceptable that a plan to use noisy and dangerous aircraft like V-22 Osprey is not properly disclosed to local residents and there has been no assessment of risks associated with Ospreys in the environmental assessments on both places.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-12/textron-boeing-v-22-still-dogged-by-bad-parts-tester-says.html
Textron-Boeing V-22 Still Dogged By Bad Parts, Tester Says
January 12, 2011, 3:53 PM EST By Tony CapaccioJan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey, five years after it was cleared for full-production, remains dogged by unreliable parts that reduce its availability for missions, according to the Pentagon’s top tester.
The Textron Inc. and Boeing Co. V-22, in its most recent testing to evaluate upgrades, was available only 57 percent of the time it was required to fly, rather than the specification of 82 percent, according to a new report by Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s director of operational test and evaluation. The testing took place between May and July 2009.
“Major contributors to this low mission capable rate included cracking or prematurely failing hinges and access doors, engine and drive components within the nacelle structure, flight control system failures, wiring and swashplate actuators,” which help the main rotors turn, the report said.
“Mission-capable rate” is a standard standard metric for aircraft combat reliability.
Gilmore assessed that when the aircraft was flying it “met or exceeded” all but one reliability and maintenance requirement.
The aircraft “demonstrated effectiveness in a wide range of approved high-altitude scenarios reflecting current Marines Corps operations,” wrote Gilmore, in a section on the V-22 in the annual report from the testing unit issued today.
The Pentagon test office and U.S. Government Accountability Office have consistently highlighted problems with V-22 parts since 2000. The V-22 is a fixed-wing plane with rotors that tilt so it can take off and land like a helicopter.
Bell Helicopter Textron spokesman William Schroeder and Naval Air Systems Command spokesman Victor Chen had no immediate comment on the test report because they had not seen it.
Improvements
Gilmore recommended that the Marines and Air Force, which is buying a version for to fly U.S. commandos, “aggressively continue integrated development and testing” to improve the aircraft’s braking system, engine and drive-train reliability.
The V-22 has been deployed to Iraq and is in Afghanistan, where it transported Defense Secretary Robert Gates during a March 2010 trip.
Congress through fiscal 2010 has approved spending $32 billion on the $52.8 billion program. The Navy plans to spend $20 billion more on upgrades and the purchase of the remaining planes in the 458-aircraft program for the Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations Command.
The program was approved for full-production in September 2005 after four years of additional development to demonstrate it overcame a host of deficiencies, including problems with its design, safety and reliability uncovered after two crashes in 2000 killed 23 Marines.
Maintenance Problems
The GAO in a June 2009 report that evaluated the V-22’s initial Iraq deployment concluded that, while the aircraft flew its assigned missions successfully, maintenance problems left the planes available for flight at rates “significantly below minimum required levels.”
During three periods studied during the V-22’s deployment from October 2007 through April 2009, the planes were available for combat operations on average 68 percent, 57 percent and 61 percent of the time, “while the minimum requirement” is 82 percent, said the GAO.
These low rates “were not unique to the Iraq deployment” and were on par with other V-22 squadrons in the U.S., the GAO said.
--Editor: Terry Atlas, Steven KomarowTo contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio at acapaccio@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net;
http://www.brewtonstandard.com/2011/01/22/military-plane-made-noise-over-brewton/
Military plane made noise over Brewton
Published 11:30am Saturday, January 22, 2011
The crew from “Unsolved Mysteries” won’t be coming to Brewton to investigate strange rumblings heard across the area Wednesday night.
Brewton Municipal Airport Director Earl Lambert said the noises heard throughout the area can be attributed to the massive V22 Osprey — a twin rotor helicopter/airplane owned by the military.
“After hearing the machinery, we began to investigate the source,” Lambert said. “Our investigation lead us to the special ops unit from Hurlburt Field.”
Hurlburt Field, located near Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is home to the Airforce Special Operations Command.
“I spoke to the commander of the squadron and explained their training would not be good since we have so many citizens that live in the area around the airport,” Lambert said. “Those aircraft are extremely noisy with an horrific racket.”
The Brewton Municipal Airport serves as a training area for units from Whiting Field near Milton, Fla., during the day.
“We have a 50-year agreement with the Navy, and you just can’t mix the two,” Lambert said. “It would be prohibitive for them to use the area during the day when it’s being used by the Navy, and it’s just too noisy at night.”
Lambert said a gentlemen’s agreement was reached between himself and the commander Friday that would bring the training missions to a halt.
“The commander offered an apology for any inconvenience their training may have caused in the community,” Lambert said. “He assured me the squadron would not be back in the area to train.”
The Brewton Municipal Airport is a non-controlled facility, meaning there is no air traffic control tower and no after-hours communications system.
http://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/article/2011-01-27_13990/
オスプレイ騒音 苦情殺到 米アラバマ州
【平安名純代・米国駐在契約記者】米空軍がアラバマ州ブリュートン市の民間空港で実施した垂直離陸機ＣＶ２２オスプレイの飛行訓練に対し、地元住民から騒音に対する苦情が殺到、訓練を中止していたことが分かった。
地元紙ブリュートン・スタンダードが２２日報じた内容によると、１９日夜間に同州ブリュートン空港周辺の住民から騒音に対する苦情が殺到。調査の結果、フロリダ州のハルバートフィールド空軍基地所属の特殊作戦軍団が同空港でオスプレイの飛行訓練を実施していたことが判明したため訓練の中止を要請、米空軍側がこれを受け入れた。
同空港は米軍と共同使用協定を結んでおり、日中の訓練は認められている。同空港の運用責任者は同紙の取材に「騒音は極限を超えるものだった」と空軍に使用自粛を申し入れ、空軍が２１日に謝罪するとともに、今後の使用を見合わせることを通達してきたと述べている。
ブリュートン市所有の同空港は約３・５６平方キロメートル内に３本の滑走路がある。同市の人口は約５５００人（２０００年時点）。
オスプレイ 部品に欠陥
米国防総省報告「任務遂行率低い」
米国防総省のギルモア実用試験評価本部長はこのほど、沖縄に２０１２年からの配備計画がある最新鋭の垂直離着陸輸送機ＭＶ２２オスプレイについて、いくつかの部品に欠陥があるため、依然として任務遂行率が低いとする年次報告書をまとめました。
報告書は０９年５～９月に行われた試験の評価結果をまとめたもの。それによると、ＭＶ２２の戦闘作戦参加の信頼性を示す任務遂行率は８２％が必要な基準でしたが、実際の試験では５７％しかありませんでした。
ヘリコプター・モードでの操縦に制約があることや、レーダー高度計の不安定性、海水が霧状に噴き上げている環境下での作戦上の限界などがあるとしています。
また、任務遂行率が低い主な要因として、ヒンジ（ちょうつがい）や点検窓の亀裂や想定よりも早い劣化、ナセル（エンジンなどを収める保護カバー）内部のエンジン・駆動装置部品、飛行制御システムの欠陥などを挙げています。
その上で報告書は、同機を導入している海兵隊と空軍に対し、共同してブレーキシステムやエンジン、駆動装置部品の信頼性を改善するため、開発と試験を積極的に続けるべきだと提案しています。
オスプレイは開発段階で墜落事故などが相次ぎ、搭乗していた計３０人が死亡しています。現在は運用段階に入っているものの、昨年４月にも派遣先のアフガニスタンで墜落事故を起こし、乗組員４人が死亡しています。
米海兵隊はオスプレイ２４機を１２年秋から沖縄に順次配備する計画を明らかにしています。今回の報告書は、その危険性を改めて示すものです。
ＭＶ２２オスプレイ 両翼のローター（回転翼）の向きを変えることで、ヘリコプターのような垂直離着陸や、固定翼のプロペラ機のような水平飛行ができる輸送機。飛行速度や航続距離、搭載能力に優れているとし、老朽化している輸送ヘリとの交代配備が進んでいます。
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