"Helmand's helicopters lifeline." Follow the video link if your browser can handle it.

They're using Chinooks here, which cost, at a maximum, 10% of the Osprey if the Osprey were under mass production. Actually, it is close to 1% of the cost of the present Osprey counting research and development costs.

While the Osprey has a role to play, if only as a demonstration and experience platform, it would not seem to be 10 times more effective in this mission than the Chinook or 10 times more likely to survive. Or some combination of those two.

In anything but battlefield conditions STOL is good enough. VTOL is needed only in forward or dangerous areas. I'm hoping they don't discontinue acquisition of the Chinook until the Osprey has proven it's worth.

Arf