A ‘STROL’ in the night on the deck of Canberra: U.S. Marines MV-22B Demonstrate Night Flight Competencies

Photo By Christopher Szumlanksi | PACIFIC OCEAN (July 25, 2022) U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey perform deck landing maneuverers aboard Royal Australian Navy Canberra-class landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02) during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (Photo by Royal Australian Navy Petty Officer Christopher Szumlanski)  

PACIFIC OCEAN

07.25.2022

Courtesy Story

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

Royal Australian Navy Landing Helicopter Dock HMAS Canberra (L02) is training at night, recovering and launching embarked United States Marine MV-22B Osprey aircraft on the flight deck during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. The United States crews are training with Canberra’s crew working at night within the ship’s tilt rotor operating limits (STROL), flying between USS Essex and HMAS Canberra as part of their night competency training exercises. The night serials ensure that not only can interchangeability be achieved during day light hours between our two navies but also by night.

Night flying operations are nothing new for HMAS Canberra, but the embarked United States MV-22B Osprey’s are providing exciting firsts for her and the crew onboard.

The two Osprey’s, with their distinctive tilt rotors, and their teams embarked for the three-week tactical sea phase of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.

This has enabled valuable time for them to train with Canberra’s aviation division and practice operating within the ships tilt rotor operating limits (STROL), conducting night flights at sea with Canberra, one of two Australian Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs).

Canberra currently has a greater restricted STROL for the Ospreys to operate in to ensure maximum safety for all involved.

United States Marine Pilot Captain Caleb ‘Malibu’ Bubash is one of the crew embarked from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 “Lucky Red Lions” (VMM-363) and said landing on Canberra at night has its slight differences.

“Flying between here and the Essex is different as the Canberra currently has a smaller STROL, in Essex we can land with a greater pitch roll and wind speed,” Captain Bubash said. “Also, there are different lighting configurations, when we’re approaching the Canberra, the whole deck is lit up, whereas only our deck spot is illuminated on Essex. These are some of the little nuances the crews are appreciating between the two ships at night.”

Due to the size of the Osprey, some of the training undertaken during RIMPAC has been recovering and launching – taking off and landing – to different spots on Canberra’s flight deck by day and night to ensure a greater capability between our navies.

As Canberra continues through the sea phase of RIMPAC, Osprey recovery and launch operations by night will become a new normal, enabling greater opportunities of interchangeability into the future.

Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

(Story by Royal Australian Navy Petty Officer Christopher Szumlanski and Lieutenant Nancy Cotton)

• Date Taken: 07.25.2022
• Date Posted: 08.02.2022 14:21
• Story ID: 426194
• Location: PACIFIC OCEAN