Strict ROE, Nausea Inducing Screens Curb Use of MV-22 Osprey Gatling Gun

[unhappycamper]

Strict ROE, Nausea Inducing Screens Curb Use of MV-22 Osprey Gatling Gun
Defense Tech
By Christian Lowe

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan — It was touted as the answer to critics who said the MV-22 didn’t have enough firepower on board to shoot its way into a hot LZ.

And here in Afghanistan, this deployment of the MV-22s with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 marked the first real-world test of the BAE Systems-made Remote Guardian machine gun system – known in the Corps as the Interim Defensive Weapon System, or “belly gun” for short.

The squadron based here at Bastion air field, adjacent to Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, has 12 aircraft and an inventory of five of the belly gun systems.

Problem is, they don’t want to use them.

Squadron commander Lt. Col. Ivan Thomas downplayed the difficulties with the system, saying simply that the manufacturer was sending over trainers who could help Marines learn how to use the system more effectively. The IDWS consists of a 7.62mm rotary cannon mounted in a retractable box near amidships on the Osprey’s undercarriage. There’s a targeting and control system inside the bird that uses an X-Box-like controller to steer the optics and gun for 360-degree coverage of the LZ.



unhappycamper comment: For $100 million dollars, I would have hoped the designers put in some sort of self protection. I guess that was in phase 23 or 39 or whatever.

Keep in mind that the Osprey program started in 1981. 29 fucking years ago.

[Dead_Parrot]

1. It's a shame...

...because the Osprey is a bitchin' design, at least in principle. Seems to have suffered death by committee, though...

[unhappycamper]

2. It is a spiffy design, but it still costs $100 million dollars.

More than an F/A-18 Super Hornet.