GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Goodfellow Airmen gathered to experience a CV-22 Osprey from Cannon AFB, N.M., landed here, Oct. 13, 2021.
The Osprey carried members from the 20th Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron and 43rd Intel Squadron who answered questions for those in attendance and provided a tour of the aircraft.
Goodfellow intelligence trainees interacted with personnel they may work with in the field including direct support operators. These individuals are airborne linguist assigned as Osprey aircrew who provide threat warnings. Students also participated in a Q&A session and other opportunities allowing them to understand their role in the Air Force’s strategic mission.
According to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, the CV-22 is the special operation forces variant of the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey. It is a tilt-rotor aircraft that combines the vertical takeoff, landing and hover qualities of a helicopter with the long-range characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. It is designed to conduct long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces.
The aircraft is capable of higher speed and range over rotary-wing aircraft and it can perform missions that would require a combination of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The aircraft takes off vertically, and once airborne, the propellers on each wing can rotate into a forward position.
The CV-22 is equipped with integrated threat countermeasures, terrain-following radar, forward-looking infrared sensor and other advanced avionics systems. This allows it to operate at low altitudes in adverse weather conditions and medium- to high-threat environments.