The United States Marine Corps has some of the most powerful military weapons at its disposal. Both on land and in the air, the Marines have the ability to combat any force at a moment’s notice. And with all that power, it is sometimes fun to show it off in an eye-opening display of excellence.
A new video posted to YouTube shows a massive array of helicopters in formation ready for takeoff from a base in California in what can only be described as the epitome of America’s military dominance.
Twenty-four MV-22B Ospreys and sixteen CH-53E Super Stallions with Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16), line up as part of a mass flight at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA on June 6, 2019. (Gung Ho Vids/YouTube)
The video, compiled by Lance Cpl. Levi Guerra, shows a number of different aircraft preparing for a massive flight out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on June 6. Twenty-four MV-22B Ospreys and 16 CH-53E Super Stallions with Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) can be seen in the video.
Check out awesome display in the video below:
The MV-22B Osprey is a massive Frankenstein creation with the propellers of a helicopter and the wingspan and carrying capacity of a cargo plane. It can take off vertically like a chopper, but can also cruise down a runway if necessary. Inside the belly of the beast, the Osprey can haul up to 32 troops in a single mission while carrying some 20,000 pounds of cargo.
Twenty-four MV-22B Ospreys and sixteen CH-53E Super Stallions with Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16), line up as part of a mass flight at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA on June 6, 2019. (Gung Ho Vids/YouTube)
When engaging in combat, the Osprey offers support that includes an M240 machine gun and GAU-17 minigun. The aircraft can cruise at more than 270 miles per hour and can fly more than a thousand miles on a single mission.
The newest aircraft of the two, the Osprey, was introduced in 2007, and more than 200 airships have been built.
Twenty-four MV-22B Ospreys and sixteen CH-53E Super Stallions with Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16), line up as part of a mass flight at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA on June 6, 2019. (Gung Ho Vids/YouTube)
Not to be outdone, the CH-53E Super Stallion is a triple engine, multi-blade helicopter that has quite the capabilities of its own. The Super Stallion can carry 30 soldiers and 30,000 pounds of equipment all at once, and can race toward a mission at more than 170 miles per hour.
The CH-53E also packs a punch with two .50 BMG window-mounted GAU-21 machine guns and an additional ramp-mounted weapons system.
Originally introduced in 1981, some 200 Super Stallions now grace the skies around the world.
