CV-22 Ospreys
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter
2 CV-22 Osprey aircraft from the 8th Special Operation Squadron pictured in a flight near their home base of Hurlburt Field, Florida, 2008.
The CV-22 is the USAF Special Operations variant of the MV-22 Osprey flown by the United States Marines.
The aircraft has now replaced the MG-53 Pavelow helicopter in the role of vertical insertion and extraction of special operations forces.
The CV-22 Osprey's unique tilt-rotor design means that the aircraft can fly at a high rate of speed then transition to vertical operation when it reaches the landing zone.
