Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 off-loaded 12 MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft at the port facility at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, July 30.

The aircraft arrived by commercial cargo ship and will eventually be flown to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan, as part of HMM-262. The 12 aircraft will be inspected and prepared for flight operations to Okinawa at the beginning of August.  Their arrival on Okinawa will complete the one-for-one CH-46E replacement there.

The MV-22 is a highly-capable aircraft with an excellent operational safety record. The aircraft combines the vertical capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft that can fly twice as fast, carry three times as much, and fly four times the distance of the older CH-46E. Its capabilities will significantly benefit the U.S.-Japan alliance, and strengthen our ability to provide for the defense of Japan, as well as to perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

For photos from today’s event please visit the links below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3mefpao/sets/72157634849297355/
http://www.dvidshub.net/image/983876/mv-22-ospreys-arrive-mcas-iwakuni
http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/
https://twitter.com/mcipacpao
http://www.facebook.com/pages/在日米海兵隊/242873972408856