The Navy announced Wednesday it will hold a public meeting in Coronado as it prepares to deploy V-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to replace its aging fleet of C-2A Greyhounds.
The venerable Greyhound, first introduced in the 1960s, is used to ferry personnel and supplies to and from the Navy’s aircraft carriers.
Three sailors died in November when a Greyhound crashed in the Philippine Sea while en route to the USS Ronald Reagan.
The Osprey is a more versatile craft since it doesn’t require a runway like the Greyhound and thus can land on many of the Navy’s smaller ships.
The Navy plans to deploy a total of 38 of the new Osprey tilt-rotors beginning this year, with the fleet divided between North Island and Naval Station Norfolk,.
The Navy has also completed an environmental assessment, which noted that “introduction of the Navy V-22 is expected to have only minor impacts on the environment and local community.”
The Marines’ version of the craft, which was widely used in the latter stages of the Iraq war, is based at Miramar.
In June 2016, the Navy tested the use of a Marine Osprey to bring supplies to the USS Carl Vinson off San Diego.
The public meeting in Coronado is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Coronado Community Center, 1845 Strand Way.