deployment from San Diego on July 7.
The USS America (LHA 6) Amphibious
Ready Group (ARG) and its 15th Marine
Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are comprised
of a ground combat element, a logistics
combat element and an aviation combat
element. This includes the VMA-214 ‘Black
Sheep’ detachment, plus four AH-1Zs,
four UH-1Ys, ve CH-53Es and 12 MV-22Bs
together with a group of at least six
MH-60S helicopters from the US Navy’s
HSC-23. The AH-1Zs and UH-1Ys are now
believed to be on the USS San Diego in the
eastern Mediterranean, while the Harriers
are at Al Udeid on a ‘dirt det’.
Most of the USS America’s Aviation
Combat Element (ACE) has not been
engaged in OIR, rather focusing on
various search and rescue and disaster
relief operations. Indeed, the MH-60S of
HSC-23 ‘Wildcards’ swung into action after
the USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) collided
with a Liberian- agged chemical tanker
in the Strait of Malacca on August 21. LT
Laura Stark of HSC-23 participated in that
operation. ‘When the incident happened,
the USS America immediately went to
support the ship,’ she recalls. ‘In Singapore
we launched two aircraft to support the
search and rescue [e ort] and we logged
a total of 60 hours. We were actually based
at Paya Lebar Air Base. We ew from theship and landed at that airport, and ew
from [the] airport to the area and back.’Local interest
As well as representing the US military
presence in the region, a few of the
participants drew the attention of military
delegations and high-ranking o cials
at the show. According to Douglas G.
Wolfe, Bell Helicopter’s director for
business development in the Middle East
and North Africa, the V-22 Osprey has
attracted interest from various un-named
Middle Eastern nations. According
to Leonardo, which has received a
rm request from the UAE Ministry of
Defense to supply three AW609 tilt-rotor
aircraft for the Army, the V-22 might
be on the cards to supplement the
Emiratis’ eet of CH-47C+ and CH-47F
Chinooks for special operations forces.
The UAE’s Joint Aviation Command will
be the launch customer for the search
and rescue variant of the AW609, with
three examples on rm order and three
options.The author would like to thank Lt Col Damien
F. Pickart, Capt Maida Zheng and 1st Lt Bryan
McDonnell for arranging the interviews with and
Col Goulter and LT Stark. Information used in this
feature is generated from public domain data.This image: An MV-22
Osprey assigned
to Marine Medium
Tilt-rotor Squadron
(VMM) 161 (Reinforced)
approaches the
amphibious assault
ship USS America
(LHA 6). US Navy/
MCS3C Vance Hand
Below left to right:
Col Thomas J. Goulter
was responsible for
organizing the US
military participation at
the show.
Babak Taghvaee
His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President, Prime
Minister and ruler
of Dubai, and his
entourage get up close
with an F-22A Raptor.
USAF/TSgt Anthony
Nelson
Left: A pristine KC-130J
of VMGR-352 at the
Dubai show.
Babak Taghvaee
Bottom left: VMA-214
is deployed with
eight Harriers as part
of the 15th Marine
Expeditionary Unit.
US Navy/
MCS2C Ramon Go68
COMBAT REPORT // CENTRAL COMMAND
66-69 US Military C.indd 68 13/12/2017 14:39