MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (20121003) -- Like users of other vehicles the Marine Corps has in its inventory, crews of MV-22B Ospreys needs a means to protect themselves from harm.
For the Osprey, a ramp-mounted M-240D serves as the weapon of choice, said Sgt. Shaun M. Hart, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 Osprey crew chief.
The Golden Eagles trained to use the weapon efficiently in a training flight, Oct. 3.
This flight was the first time CWO2 Daniel E. Fuson, VMM-162 avionics officer training to be an aerial observer, had fired the machine gun in the air.
Before the flight, Hart taught Fuson how to maintain the weapon, including breaking it down and applying lubrication at various points.
With the weapon in firing condition, the crew mounted it on an Osprey ramp and took off down the runway with 2,400 rounds of 7.62 mm on board.
They set out to find the perfect target: an old boat affectionately known as “the barge.”
“It’s a big rusty ship in the middle of nowhere,” said Hart. “You can’t miss it! Well, you could, but you can definitely see it and (shooting) it is what we’re doing.”
After clearing the area of any other ships, Hart demonstrated the proper way to engage a ground threat. He then traded places with Fuson, who then laid waste to the target with two-to-three second bursts.
Firing a weapon out the back of an MV-22B is not as easy as point and shoot, said Hart.
Many variables affect projectiles as they pass through the air, and it determines how the gunner uses offset aiming. Shooting out the left side of the aircraft makes bullets go to left and low, while shooting out the right side makes them go right and high.
Hart said tracer rounds help the gunner see where the rounds go. He added the rounds could also be used as a tool to calculate distance to the target because the illumination burns out at around 900 meters.
The crew chief explained the maximum effective range of the M-240D is 1,200 meters; however, one’s skill and experience as well as day-to-day challenges can either lengthen or shorten that distance.
Fuson also experienced stoppages in the weapon, learned how to clear the weapon and changed barrels.
The pilots flew a “dogbone” shape pattern, turning around after every pass, said Capt. Scott R. Wood, VMM-162 Osprey pilot. This gave the aspiring AO the best opportunity to learn how to control the weapon, which Wood said was the goal of the flight.
Although Fuson said he was nervous before the flight, Hart said he did well for a first-timer. This was his first tail-gun flight, but it will not be the last time he practices shooting the weapon.
“It’s important for crew members to know how to defend the aircraft,” he said.