Visiting dignitaries view V-22 during Embassy Day

More than 70 dignitaries from 16 countries learned about the capabilities of the tiltrotor aircraft during the May 9 V-22 Osprey Embassy Day, held at NAS Patuxent River.

"This event gives our allies first-hand insight into the unique qualities and capabilities of the V-22," said Marine Col. Greg Masiello, program manager, V-22 Joint program office, "It is an honor and privilege to showcase this incredible machine. To highlight the extensive mission capabilities through flight demonstrations, orientation and indoctrination flights, and simulator flights are always a crowd pleaser - essentially, the aircraft speaks for itself."

The intent of the V-22 Embassy Day is to spur interest in foreign military sales.

Embassy Day guests also enjoyed a V-22 fuselage demonstrator and static displays depicting medevac, fast rope, VIP transport, cargo transport and handling, fueling, ramp and belly gun, and tactical vehicle transport capabilities.

The V-22 Osprey is a joint service, multirole combat aircraft that uses tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its nacelles and rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, the nacelles rotate to transition the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight.