With its sister aircraft the MV-22 Osprey conducting missions for the United States Marine Corps in Afghanistan and the Pacific, the Air Force Special Operations Command version of the Osprey, the CV-22, has been quietly and capably supporting combat and humanitarian missions for the Special Operations community.

Along with hover and vertical flight capabilities, the CV-22’s speed allows it to reach objectives much faster than other rotorcraft assets and in fixed-wing mode, the aircraft is much quieter – a key combination during special operations missions in hostile areas. These advantages became apparent to crews of the 20th Special Operations Squadron during a nighttime raid in the Kajaki Valley region of southern Afghanistan, a mission in enemy territory.

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