MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Kaneohe Bay – Two MV-22 Ospreys will arrive at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay Thursday, March 27, between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Their tentative departure is April 7.

            The service members and MV-22 Osprey aircraft of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 are currently embarked aboard the USS Anchorage, a San Antonio-class Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship stationed in San Diego, Calif.  The squadron is participating in joint Navy and Marine Corps training with units stationed in Hawaii and will fly throughout the state March 31 and April 1-7 in order to familiarize pilots with training areas and course rules.

The MV-22 has been supporting Marine Corps operations continuously since October 2007, in extreme environmental conditions during 18 combined deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and aboard amphibious shipping. The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that successfully blends the vertical flight capabilities and versatility of helicopters with the speed, range, altitude and endurance of fixed-wing transports.

There is no media availability planned for the MV-22 arrival or departure.  The MV-22s will not operate outside normal airfield hours.

For questions please contact Capt. Alex Lim or Sgt. Skyler Tooker at 257-8870/38.