It isn’t quite CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue), but it is a start!
U.S. Marines onboard the USS Bataan, an amphibious ship, got a chance to use the tiltrotor for the medical
evacuation of a sailor on June 25.
The ship ordered two Ospreys enroute back to the ship after a mission to fly at max speed. Once onboard, the sailor, who sustained hip injuries and chest pains after falling, was loaded up. Some medical support equipment was also flown, as shown in the pics. The sailor was then flown 147 naut. mi. in 37 min to a regional airport and then transferred via ambulance to a hospital for more medical attention, the Marines say.
The V-22 has been an on-again/off-again candidate for the USAF Combat Search and Rescue-X (CSAR-X) competition.
Nothing like the endorsement of a customer to try and prove a point. Of course on this mission there was no shooting or searching, but it shows that the speed and versatility of the aircraft are an asset for medical evacuation missions.
The news release of the mission came in the midst of a re-emergence of criticism from lawmakers of the aircraft’s cost and reliability.
From http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense