Marine Corps deploys MV-22B for anti-submarine warfare as Japan completes V-22 relocation
A US Marine Corps (USMC) Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor has performed anti-submarine warfare (ASW) duties for the first time, as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) completes the deployment of its V-22s to Kyushu.
The USMC mission involved the MV-22B working with two US Navy Sikorsky MH-60R naval combat helicopters. Operating somewhere in the Indo-Pacific, the Osprey deployed sonobuoys in co-operation with the rotorcraft.
“The Marine Corps has spent the past five years re-tooling to fight in the Pacific and the submarine threat can’t be ignored,” says USMC Colonel Niedziocha, commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
The MH-60Rs were operating from the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group, while the MV-22Bs flew from another strike group led by the USS America amphibious assault ship.
The USMC says employing the MV-22B in the ASW role will significantly enhance the MEU’s ability to find, track and deter potential adversaries.
China has dramatically expanded its underwater capabilities amid an unprecedented military build-up, operating about 60 submarines and with the fleet continuing to grow.