Author Description

The MV-22 "Osprey" was designed as a "medium-lift" replacement for the Marine Corps CH-46E "Sea Knight" and CH-53D "Sea Stallion" helicopters. The MV-22's tilt-rotor technology will allow it to exploit the operational envelopes of both helicopters and turbo-prop aircraft. This expanded performance envelope, along with the capability to conduct aerial refueling, will allow a MV-22 lifted force to influence future operations through an increase in range and speed. This thesis quantifies the impact that fielding the MV-22 within the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) will have on its KC- 130 squadrons. This impact arises from the MV- 22's capability to receive fuel in-flight (aerial refuel). Since the CH- 46E and CH-53D could not aerial refuel, their pilots did not have a need to conduct aerial refueling training, and thus