Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 02 Oct 2013

HMM-262 Sea Knight at Ex Cobra Gold, Thailand in 2009

According to reports from Russia quoting Indonesian sources, Indonesia has a requirement of 112 fighters between now and 2024. The TNI-AU intends to form 8 squadrons of 16 aircraft each. It already operates 16 Su-27/30s and has 24 refurbished F-16C/Ds on order.

End of an era as the last Okinawa-based U.S. Marine CH-46 Sea Knight made its last flight prior to storage pending disposal. The helicopters from Marine Helicopter Medium Squadron 262 (HMM-262) is in the process of converting to the MV-22B Osprey. Another Okinawa-based squadron is now flying Ospreys since 2012, having also turned in its Sea Knights.

More details have emerged of the new Taiwanese-built air launched precision weapon we reported on a while back. The Wan Chien is a cluster munition with a range of over 200km. It will equip the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching Kuo fighters of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force, with forty Tainan based aircraft already retrofitted for the new weapon.

Marine aviation assets temporarily deployed to Japan are currently in the Philippines conducting training with Philippine Air Force personnel. F/A-18C Hornets from VMFA-232 'Red Devils' and AH-1W Super Cobras of HMLA-167 'Warriors' are temporarily deployed to Japan as part of the USMC's Unit Deployment Program (UDP)

Japan gives final approval for Osprey deployment

It was just a matter of time anyway. Despite despite fierce opposition over noise and safety and after a protracted approval process, Japan has approved a controversial deployment of the V-22 Osprey to Okinawa.

A U.S.-Japan working committee struck an agreement calling for the Marine Corps to avoid low-altitude flying and to conduct most conversions of the MV-22 from helicopter to airplane mode within airspace over military bases. The Ospreys will replace the CH-46 Sea Knights, with the Dragons of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265) now re-designated as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265).

Marine Ospreys to head to Okinawa early?

This news will be greeted warmly by Okinawan residents living near the U.S. Marine base at Futenma; Japan's Manichi newspaper has reported that the United States is considering deploying the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to Okinawa as early as in July, moving up the schedule from the initially planned deployment in autumn.

The Dragons of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265) are expected to transition to the Osprey from the Boeing-Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight sometime in 2012.

V-22 Ospreys may be based on Japanese mainland instead of Okinawa

US Marine V-22 Osprey in Iraq (US Navy photo)

The Japan Times has reported that United States Marine Corps V-22 Ospreys may be based on the main Japanese island of Honshu, with Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture being cited as likely locations.

Okinawa-based Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265) is expected to transition to the Osprey from the Boeing-Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight later this year, but the local government and residents are stridently opposed to the plan to based USMC Ospreys at Okinawa's Futenma airbase.

HMM-262 marks 60,000 mishap-free hours

Congratulations to The Flying Tigers of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (Reinforced) 262 recently marked 60,500 flight hours without sustaining any Class A mishaps. It has taken 13 years to accumulate those flight hours. HMM-262 (Rein) operates the CH-46 from MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, supported by a number of other types.

PHOTO: CH-53E lands during the 31st MEU Air Combat Element fly-on

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100907-N-5215E-056 SEA OF JAPAN (Sept. 7, 2010) A CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter lands during the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) Air Combat Element fly-on aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). Essex is conducting a patrol in the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matthew A. Ebarb/Released)

PHOTO: CH-46 Sea Knight on Pakistani flood relief mission

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A US Marine Corps CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter carrying Pakistani flood affected victims flies above Kallam, a town of Swat Valley, on September 2, 2010. (A. MAJEED/AFP/Getty Images via The Boston Globe)