In order to let the "osprey" gyroplane soar into Japan, it is necessary to practice the reliable technique of "controlling the eagle" first.
Military Review World
Liu Zhenglu
Recently, the first two V-22 Osprey deflection rotors shipped from the United States to Japan have arrived at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan. This is the first time the aircraft is equipped with a country other than the United States. This expensive arms deal can not only bring huge profits to related US military industrial enterprises, but also effectively strengthen the alliance between the United States and Japan. The US-Japan maritime cooperative operations and amphibious landing operations have had a greater impact.
Deflection gyroplanes have a long history. As early as the 1940s, many countries in the world carried out related research and test work, and some models have achieved certain results, but because of the technical difficulty, the actual application has not achieved substantial Sexual breakthrough. The "Osprey" deflection gyroplane jointly developed by Bell and Boeing is the first military deflection gyroplane with batch equipment and relatively mature performance.
"Osprey" deflection rotorcraft is a very new aircraft, why is it favored by the Japanese Self-Defense Force? There are three main reasons.
First, the Osprey gyroplane is a very unique design and outstanding performance aircraft. It not only has the advantages of large fixed-wing transport weight, fast flight speed and long flight distance, but also can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, without the need for a runway. In particular, its wings can be rotated and folded, effectively saving the occupied space and volume. These three advantages make it an excellent partner for amphibious assault ships, and are particularly suitable for island offensive and defensive operations.
Second, the performance of the helicopter fleet of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for amphibious operations and aerial delivery tasks is difficult to meet future needs. The C-46 "Chinugan" transport aircraft and the CH-53 "Stallion" large transport helicopter are getting older and need to be replaced; the SH-60 "Seahawk" general purpose helicopter has limited transport capacity, making it difficult to meet long-range air assault and transport delivery Operational requirements, and the Osprey deflection rotorcraft is a good substitute.
The third is that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has a ready-made platform. The "Osprey" deflection gyroplane is so large that ordinary destroyers and frigates cannot carry it, and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force has successively equipped multiple Izumo-class amphibious assault ships in recent years. This type of warship has a full-load displacement of nearly 40,000 tons, a wide flight deck close to light aircraft carriers and island-shaped superstructures, as well as a huge hangar and large elevators, which can easily meet the requirements of the "Osprey". The guard is eager to "osprey".
Combining the characteristics of the Japan Self-Defense Force and the purchase plan, the future "Osprey" may also have a heavy responsibility. It is expected that it may mainly undertake four kinds of tasks. First, it is deployed on the "Izumo" class amphibious assault ship and becomes an air weapon for the ship to perform oceanic amphibious assault operations; The Japanese Self-Defense Force emphasized the operation of capturing the island, and the Osprey not only can carry a large number of combatants and equipment, but also can fly long distances, enabling Japan to rely on land airports to perform rapid air delivery missions and launch offshore operations to capture the island; three It integrates into the US military combat system, cooperates with the US aircraft carrier battle group and the amphibious expeditionary strike group, and performs various military joint exercises and wartime logistics support tasks. Fourth, it performs non-war military operations such as major natural disaster rescue and humanitarian assistance. Therefore, the service of the Osprey deflection gyroplane will effectively enhance the Japanese Self-Defense Force's amphibious assault and offshore island capture capabilities.
However, although the Osprey is a novel and avant-garde aircraft, its deflection rotor structure is very complex, and the control difficulty is much greater than that of conventional helicopters and fixed-wing transport aircraft, resulting in a high failure rate, especially on the wings. The deflection rotor mechanism at the end is exposed to many risks during the take-off and landing transition. Since its service, there have been many crashes involving aircraft crashes and deaths, especially a crash in Arizona in 2000 that killed 19 US Marines. In recent years, the news that the "Osprey" crashed is also very common. It can be said that it is a "problem eagle" that is not very reassuring.
This situation also made the "Osprey" fleet stationed at Japanese bases notorious. The local Japanese people are very worried about this "problem eagle" hanging over their heads, and have repeatedly protested and demonstrated. In the face of this "osprey" with complex technology and many problems, whether the Japanese Self-Defense Force can find a reliable "eagle control" and whether it can achieve the expected combat function is also worthy of further observation.
It is worth noting that although the Osprey deflection rotor aircraft takes into account the advantages of helicopters and fixed-wing transport aircraft, it is bulky and its flight speed is not too fast. It is more than enough to "bully" some small and medium-sized countries with limited air defense capabilities and air force strength. However, in the face of strong ground air defense firepower and air power, the "osprey" maneuverability and protection capabilities are not dominant. If you can't master the absolute theater air control and break through the other's air defense circle, the "air eagle" deflection rotor aircraft is good at long-range air assault and vertical landing operations.
(Author: National Defense University)