Photo: Norwegian Armed Forces via Facebook/Scramble Magazine
So far, this hasn’t been a good year for the CV-22 and MV-22 Osprey aircraft. The same issue that had determined AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) to ground its entire Osprey fleet earlier this year, made one of these aircraft get stuck in Norway, on a nature reserve. It’s been there for a month, but it looks like there’s hope to retrieve it.
Someone arriving at the Stongodden nature reserve on the island of Senja, in the northernmost part of Norway, would be surprised by an unexpected sight – a stranded CV-22 Osprey facing the water. It’s been there since August 12, following an emergency landing. Luckily, nobody got hurt this time. The Marine Corps Osprey that crashed back in the same country back in March killed four Marines.
You might think that the stranded aircraft should have been recovered by now. But it’s not so easy. The main problem is that the area it got stuck in happens to be a nature reserve, so the Norwegian authorities wanted to find a solution that wouldn’t have a negative impact on the surroundings. Plus, the weather conditions are of no help either. Strong winds or rain could make things worse at any time.
The idea is to recover the Osprey by boat, but for that, it needs to be moved closer to the water. The Royal Norwegian Air Force decided to literally build a road using only natural materials, such as wood, that won’t affect the natural area, Task and Purpose reports. Then, with the help of a ramp and a jetty, the unfortunate Osprey will be moved closer to shore. From there on, a crane boat will take over.
This plan is much more complicated than it sounds, but the Norwegian military is determined to carry it out this weekend, according to the same source. The only thing that’s still needed is an official approval from USAF (U.S. Air Force). Hopefully, both the Osprey and the Stongodden nature reserve will make it out of this okay.
You might think that the stranded aircraft should have been recovered by now. But it’s not so easy. The main problem is that the area it got stuck in happens to be a nature reserve, so the Norwegian authorities wanted to find a solution that wouldn’t have a negative impact on the surroundings. Plus, the weather conditions are of no help either. Strong winds or rain could make things worse at any time.
The idea is to recover the Osprey by boat, but for that, it needs to be moved closer to the water. The Royal Norwegian Air Force decided to literally build a road using only natural materials, such as wood, that won’t affect the natural area, Task and Purpose reports. Then, with the help of a ramp and a jetty, the unfortunate Osprey will be moved closer to shore. From there on, a crane boat will take over.
This plan is much more complicated than it sounds, but the Norwegian military is determined to carry it out this weekend, according to the same source. The only thing that’s still needed is an official approval from USAF (U.S. Air Force). Hopefully, both the Osprey and the Stongodden nature reserve will make it out of this okay.
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