Corps' newest helos land on Navy's 'hybrid' ship
US Marine Corps News
10/4/2010
By Cpl. Justis Beauregard, 11th MEU
PACIFIC OCEAN -- The latest models of Marine Corps helicopters landed on one of the Navy’s newest ships Oct. 3-4.
Anchored a few miles from Camp Pendleton, Calif., USS Makin Island took on one UH-1Y “Venom” helicopter and one AH-1Z “Viper SuperCobra” attack helicopter as the amphibious assault ship prepared to head north for San Francisco.
The AH-1Z, after recently being approved and found operationally effective and suitable, marked its first landing on a sea-going vessel while in an operational squadron Oct. 4 -- a first as the aircraft is beyond its developmental or operational test status.
The skid-supported helicopters belong to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, aka Scarface. A detachment from the squadron will support the aviation combat element of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s special-purpose Marine air-ground task force going to the Bay Area.
“The increased power of the aircraft make ship operations a lot easier and safer,” said 1st Lt. Michael G. Tetreault, a Viper SuperCobra pilot with the squadron.
The 11th MEU, the first amphibious landing force aboard USS Makin Island, left Naval Base San Diego Oct. 1 and made its way to San Francisco, where service members will participate in the city's 2010 Fleet Week. , a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in October 2009.
The unit, sailing for California’s Golden Gate, will reach San Francisco Oct. 6 and showcase to the public the Marine Corps' aircraft and equipment and its ability to conduct missions that span the overlapping spectrums of peace and combat, from disaster relief to war.
Fleet Week will include displays of the Corps’ humanitarian assistance capabilities, warfighting gear, community-outreach projects, parades, tours, band performances, education seminars and athletic competitions.
The helicopters will be on display during Fleet Week, and pilots will be on hand to talk about the aircraft.
“I am excited to interact with the community,” said Capt. Alexander G. Cole, Scarface’s UH-1 standardization officer. “I think it is great we get to show what we do. It’s important to build a relationship between the community and the Marine Corps.”
The Venom has four blades, unlike its predecessor, the two-bladed UH-1N. With more blades and more power, the helicopter is a valuable addition to the capabilities of a MEU, said Cole.
The Venom can accomplish a variety of missions, to include search-and-rescue operations and casualty evacuation, explained Cole. The previous model had to be configured to carry either troops or rockets. The Venom’s new lift capabilities allow it to do transport missions while retaining its attack capabilities.
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