Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
VMFAT-101 (FRS)
‘Sharpshooters’MCAS Miramar,
California T-34C MAG-11 SHT-34C Turbo Mentor
Although the Beechcraft T-34C was
retired from the primary training
role in 2015, a small number ofTurbo Mentors are assigned to
support roles that include range
clearance and pro ciency. The eetSquadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
HMX-1 ‘Nighthawks’ MCAF Quantico, Virginia MV-22B DC(A) (MX)
HX-21 ‘Blackjack’ NAS Patuxent River, Maryland MV-22B NAWCAD
VMMT-204 (FRS)
‘Raptors’MCAS New River,
North Carolina MV-22B MAG-26 GX
VMM-161 ‘Grey Hawks’MCAS Miramar, California MV-22B MAG-16 YR
VMM-162
‘Golden Eagles’MCAS New River,
North Carolina MV-22B MAG-26 YS
VMM-163
‘Ridgerunners’MCAS Miramar,
California MV-22B MAG-16 YP
VMM-164 ‘Knightriders’ MCAS Camp Pendleton, California MV-22B MAG-39 YT
VMM-165
‘White Knights’MCAS Miramar,
California MV-22B MAG-16 YW
VMM-166 ‘Sea Elks’ MCAS Miramar, California MV-22B MAG-16 YX
VMM-261 ‘Raging Bulls’MCAS New River, North Carolina MV-22B MAG-26 EM
VMM-262 ‘Flying Tigers’MCAS Futenma, Japan MV-22B MAG-36 ET
VMM-263
‘Thunder Eagles’MCAS New River,
North Carolina MV-22B MAG-26 EG
VMM-264
‘Black Knights’MCAS New River,
North Carolina MV-22B MAG-26 EH
VMM-265 ‘Dragons’ MCAS Futenma, Japan MV-22B MAG-36 EP
VMM-266
‘Fighting Gri ns’MCAS New River,
North Carolina MV-22B MAG-26 ES
VMM-268
‘Red Dragons’MCAS Kaneohe Bay,
Hawaii MV-22B MAG-24 YQ
VMM-363 ‘Red Lions’
(see note 1)MCAS Miramar,
California MV-22B MAG-16 YZ
VMM-364 ‘Purple Foxes’MCAS Camp Pendleton, California MV-22B MAG-39 PF
VMM-365 ‘Blue Knights’MCAS New River, North Carolina MV-22B MAG-26 YM
VMM-764 ‘Moonlight’
(see note 2)MCAS Miramar,
California MV-22B MAG-41 ML
VMM-774 ‘Wild Goose’
(see note 2)Chambers Field,
NS Norfolk, Virginia MV-22B MAG-49 MQ
VMX-1 MCAS Yuma, Arizona MV-22B COTEF MV
1 VMM-363 will relocate to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, in FY 2017.
2 VMM-764 and VMM-774 are Marine Corps Reserve squadrons.
3 VMM-362 will be activated at MCAS Miramar in FY 2018 and VMM-212 will be activated at MCAS
Cherry Point in FY 2019.MV-22B Osprey
The US Marine Corps recently
began executing the common
con guration — readiness and
modernization (CC-RAM) program
that will update the Block B
MV-22B eet to the latest Block C
production standard. The Osprey
eet currently includes more
than 70 di erent con gurations
and the project integrates all
changes made to the tilt-rotor
over the past 15 years to reduce
the number of con gurations
to around ve. Naval Air
Systems Command awarded
the Bell-Boeing Joint Project
O ce a $57-million contract to
begin work on the CC-RAM in
September 2017. Boeing will
initially modify three MV-22Bs at
its Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
production facility. The rst
Osprey to undergo the process
was inducted in January 2018.
Around 130 MV-22Bs will rotate
through the program. Among the
changes are modi cations to the
fuel dump system, installation
of a tra c collision avoidance
system (TCAS), weather radar,
new mission computer, upgraded
electrical generators and cockpit
con guration changes. The last
non-deployable Block A MV-22B
was delivered to Fleet Readiness
Center East at MCAS Cherry Point
for conversion to the deployable
Block B con guration on
September 28, 2017.Since 2010, Ospreys have
been delivered in Block C
con guration, which features a
new weather radar and improved
aircraft survivability equipment
(ASE). Whereas the operational
squadrons continue to operate a
mix of Block B and C Ospreys, the
FRS now operates only the Block
B version.
Jointly developed by Bell
Helicopter and Boeing from the
earlier V-22A, which rst ew in
March 1989, the MV-22B entered
the USMC inventory in May 1999.
The tilt-rotor, which is powered
by two Rolls-Royce/Allison
T406-AD-400 turboshaft engines,
conducted its maiden operational
deployment when VMM-263
arrived in Iraq in September 2007.
The unit subsequently conducted
the Osprey’s rst MEU deployment
aboard the USS Bataan (LHD 5)
in May 2009. Transition between
the CH-46E and the MV-22B
was completed in 2015 and
Ospreys are now in service with
16 operational marine medium
tilt-rotor squadrons as well as
two Marine Corps Reserve units.
They serve as the core of the MEU
Aviation Combat Element (ACE).
The program of record calls for
a eet of 360 aircraft to be elded
by 2020 and 281 were in service
in December 2017. The aircraft
included 12 that were supporting
test and evaluation e orts, 21assigned to the FRS and 12 tasked
with presidential support. The
number of active-duty squadrons
will increase to 18 when VMM-362
and VMM-212 form at MCAS
Miramar, California, and MCAS
New River, North Carolina, in 2018
and 2019. VMM-363 is scheduled
to join MAG-24 as its second
Osprey unit when it relocates from
Miramar to MCAS Kaneohe Bay,
Hawaii, in late FY 2018. Each of the
operational squadrons operates 12
Ospreys and the FRS is nominally
assigned 20 MV-22Bs.
The Block C version of the type is
capable of carrying 24 passengers,
12 litters or 12,500lb (5,670kg)
of cargo over distances up to
450nm (833km).
Recent upgrades to the MV-22B
include the AN/AAQ-24 large
aircraft infra-red countermeasures
(LAIRCM) system and full
elding of the integrated aircraft
survivability equipment (IASE).Fielding of those systems began
in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Planned upgrades include the
integration of the V-22 aerial
refueling system (VARS), which
will allow the MV-22B to o oad
around 10,000lb (4,536kg) of fuel
to receiver-equipped aircraft.
The VARS will achieve initial
operational capability in mid-
FY 2018 with full operational
capability following in FY 2019.
Operational testing of the
equipment will begin this fall.
The system will provide deployed
MEUs with an organic air refueling
capability and a total of 45 kits will
be procured by FY 2022, with 345
aircraft being made compatible.
Beginning in 2019, the Osprey
will be made compatible with
the AN/ALQ-231 Intrepid Tiger
II (IT II) V1 Block 10 electronic
countermeasures pod. Integration
of an o ensive weapons capability
is under consideration as well.currently includes three T-34Cs that
are assigned to VMFAT-101 at MCASMiramar, California, which serves as
the corps’ Hornet FRS.MV-22 Ospreys from marine medium tilt-
rotor squadron VMM-165 at MCAS Miramar.
USAF/SSgt Chris DrzazgowskiUS NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS AIR POWER^9986-99 Marine Tables C.indd 99 01/06/2018 14:05