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Osprey Arrives
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Published: October 21, 2008
ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - After a troubled history, the V-22 Osprey - half-helicopter, half-plane - has been ferrying troops and equipment across Iraq for a year without a major incident.
Critics say the Osprey, which was designed to replace transport helicopters, lacks firepower for defense in heavy combat.
But pilots say the Osprey makes up for that in speed, which one of them says can take the plane "like a bat out of hell" to altitudes safe from small-arms fire. Since arriving at this sprawling desert base in western Iraq, on only a handful of occasions has the aircraft faced any serious enemy fire.
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