CV-22 with MC-130 in tow.....
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Navy Dedicated SAR Squadrons
- Thread starter Ventus
- Start date
This is all a very imaginative fantasy at this point though. I do not believe we’re developing anything like this at all.
But then who recovers the downed (floating) airmen? I've never heard a good assessment of a xV-22 doing hoist operations because of how much down wash it produces. Can it be done? Sure, but man you'd get beat to shit. I also wonder how hot that would get with the exhaust. I certainly welcome a correction from a V-22 guy.
Maybe in 2026 the tide has changed, but back in 2020-21-ish, I believe the Airboss said something to the effect that the pilots were going to need to pull out a Snickers and just going to have to sit in the water and wait. There really isn't a good way to get to them in that environment.
I have been told that CV-22 regularly does rear ramp hoist ops from 100' AGL. I'm going to assume that the AFCS has a doppler integrated?
I’m thinking USCG C-130 would be the initial response, then probably coordinate to get a the closest merchant vessel to pick up. This isn’t helpful in a shooting war.
And they may, which is why I welcome the correction. But the question is that hoist ops or fast roping? Two different things, especially over water.
Since it's not 1982, I would assume they have EGIs.
Good question. I would think in a highly contested, long range environment you would have to go with something unconventional, something that wouldn’t attract attention like small fishing vessels or perhaps semi-submersible (similar to the drug runners). For something faster, possibly a small drone Wing In Ground Effect that would not be a valuable target like a C-130 or V-22. It is not going to be easy.
No, probably not.
MQ-9s are more of a sitting duck than C-130s. If we're in a shooting war, we're going to get shot down.
The Vendee Globe racers that have gotten into trouble have largely self rescued or, in a couple of pretty incredible cases, have been rescued by fellow competitors.
Perhaps the only CSAR you're getting is the people you're immediately with, or you're immediately fighting against.
During the South Pacific campaign (42 to early 44) most airmen who went down were not rescued. If they went into the water chances were a bit higher, but not much. If they bailed out over a contested island they could potentially work their way to friendly lines, although few did. If the island was unoccupied they were lost. There were rare cases like Louis Zamperini, who went into the sea, survived 47 days, and drifted to the Marshall Islands only to be captured by the Japanese.
There probably would be some clever way to do something like this, but this capability does not exist, and I'm unaware of any program of record that is working toward it.