Marines plan forums on locations for Ospreys
SAN DIEGO: The Marine Corps will hold an open house tomorrow in Scripps Ranch to take public comment on a draft environmental impact statement on the three proposed West Coast locations for an MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft fleet, including Miramar and Camp Pendleton.
The Marine Corps has proposed replacing its aging fleet of helicopters with the Ospreys, which can operate as either helicopters or turboprop planes.
The Department of the Navy has prepared a draft environmental impact statement on proposals to base the Ospreys at one of three Marine Corps air stations – Miramar, Camp Pendleton or Yuma, Ariz.
Marine Corps officials will discuss potential environmental impacts and take public and agency comments on the proposed locations at an open house from 5 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Scripps Miramar Ranch Branch Library, 10301 Scripps Lake Drive, San Diego.
An open house also will be held in San Clemente, from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Vista Del Mar Middle School, 1130 Avenida Talega. A third open house will be held in Yuma, from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Gila Ridge High School, 7151 E. 24th St.
The Ospreys would be part of the 3rd and 4th Marine Aircraft Wings in Southern California and Arizona. They can go from flying horizontally at 200 mph to landing vertically like a helicopter in 45 seconds and can carry up to 24 people.
By 2017, the Marine Corps hopes to replace its aging fleets of CH-46E SeaKnight and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters with about 300 Ospreys at a cost of about $50 billion. –S.S.
