AP is reporting that four U.S. Marines have been killed close to a Norwegian town in the Arctic Circle following a crash of their Osprey aircraft which was taking part in a NATO exercise.
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| Photo Boeing |
The Marines from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, were taking part in the 'Cold Response' NATO exercise which has seen forces from many countries on land sea and air come together. The aircraft was an MV-22B Osprey, which according to U.S. authorities "had a crew of four and was out on a training mission in Nordland County" northern Norway. The names of the deceased have not been disclosed at this stage.
Initial reports indicate the Osprey was heading north to Bodoe, where it was scheduled to land just before 18:00 Friday evening. The aircraft crashed in Graetaedalen in Beiarn, south of Bodoe. A search and rescue mission was launched immediately, the police said and then early this morning they arrived at the scene, confirming all four of the crew had died.
An investigation is underway into the cause of the crash and weather is likely to have played a part in the incident which was said to be stormy and windy at the time.
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| Photo Boeing |
V-22 Osprey:
Boeing says the V-22 Osprey is a joint service multirole combat aircraft utilizing tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop aeroplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. This combination results in global reach capabilities that allow the V-22 to fill an operational niche, unlike any other aircraft.
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| Photo Boeing |
V-22 Osprey Technical Specifications
| Propulsion | Two Rolls-Royce AE1107C, 6,150 shp (4,586 kW) each |
| Length | Fuselage: 57.3 ft. (17.47 m); Stowed: 63.0 ft. (19.20 m) |
| Width | Rotors turning: 84.6 ft. (25.78 m); Stowed: 18.4 ft. (5.61 m) |
| Height | Nacelles vertical: 22.1 ft. (6.73 m); Stabilizer: 17.9 ft. (5.46 m) |
| Rotor Diameter | 38.1 ft (11.6 m) |
| Vertical Takeoff Max Gross Weight | 52,600 lbs. (23,859 kg) |
| Max Speed | 270 kts (500 km/h) @ SL |
| Mission Radius | 428 nm – MV-22 Blk C with vertical takeoff - 24 troops, ramp mounted weapon system, SL STD, 20 min loiter time 525 nm - Short takeoff technique (Rolling Takeoff) |
| Cockpit - crew seats | 2 MV / 3 CV / 2 CMV |
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