Ospreys move to Mildenhall delayed again..

[Gary]

Ospreys on the Move: Air Force Special Operations Command will not start relocating the first of 10 CV-22 Ospreys to RAF Mildenhall, Britain, until next summer, AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel told reporters during AFA’s Air & Space Conference Sept. 18. The first two-ship formation is expected to arrive by July and will be followed by another three-ship package about two months later, he said. The move was delayed about one year because five CV-22s originally slated for Mildenhall were in Afghanistan, he said. Eventually there will be 10 Ospreys forward-based in the UK and 10 more somewhere in the Pacific. The Pacific birds are expected to begin arriving at their new location in summer 2014, but Fiel said AFSOC is still finalizing those details with the joint staff.

Airforce Magazine

[The Meat]

Still looking forward to it.

[RichC]

Seen elsewhere, rumour of the 21st not getting the CV22B but instead, 7SOS getting the CV22B and mothballing their MC130H Combat Talon II's and 67SOS getting MC130W Combat Spear/Dragon Spear in place of their MC130P Combat Shadows to conduct the same mission that both the 7SOS and 67SOS are currently doing with just one aircraft.

Does anyone know any truth to this rumour or is it just that, a made up rumour?

[andrewn]

Hi Rich - haven't got it to hand but think what you describe was pretty much what was said in a recent issue of Combat Aircraft which had a good article on the 352 SOG.

[galaxysi]

i've been told by someone who works on the base that it is indeed the 7th SOS who are getting the ospreys.the 67th are converting but i thought they were supposed to be getting the MC-130J.

[Tronk 11]

Hello Folks,
I posted some info on milscanners, & really don't work with rumours!
I got the info from a contact who knows the 67th SOS quite well, so the info is accurate as of a week ago when I posted it. Some of the crews from the 7th SOS are being selected for the coming CV-22's, although I didn't get any dates on when they'll arrive. He did say that they are planning another deployment of Ospreys prior to them arriving, & again I don't know how many & when.
Like a lot of people I'd like to have seen the 21st back at Mildenhall, but the new MC-130J/W's do the job of the 67th SOS & the 7th SOS, so why fly double the amount when you don't have to.
I'll probally keep my 'rumour' to myself if & when I find out when they are coming.

[Bison]

Hi all not sure where any information came from but as being on base today with 7 sos
they have stated the herks are all being replaced due to their age and will be getting mc and hc130j,s within 2 years