The training of the Spanish Marine Infantry with MV-22B Osprey aircraft in the United States

Last week we saw here the landing of the Spanish Marine Corps in the United States on the occasion of the Unitas 2025 exercise.

A landing of the Spanish Marine Infantry on the shores of the United States
The Spanish Marine Infantry will receive 34 new amphibious combat vehicles

This exercise is being carried out within the framework of the third phase of deployment of the Expeditionary Combat Group (GCE) "Dédalo" 25, with the participation of the amphibious assault ship "Galicia" L-51 and the frigates "Canarias" F-86 and "Almirante Juan de Borbón" F-102, with 1,230 Spanish soldiers on board, including 350 Marines from the Second Landing Battalion of the Tercio de Armada (TEAR), as well as two Sikorsky SH-60F transport helicopters from the 5th Squadron in the L-51, and an SH-60B anti-submarine helicopter from the 10th Squadron in the F-86.

During this deployment in the United States, TEAR soldiers have had the opportunity to train with the US Marines' MV-22B Osprey aircraft, models with tiltrotors that allow them to take off like helicopters and fly like airplanes. In these images, two MV-22B units can be seen: the 8651 (serial number 168651, above these lines) and the 8224 (serial number 168224, below).

On September 14, the U.S. Armed Forces multimedia site DVIDShub.net published two sets of photos from this training: a set of daytime images showing TEAR members boarding and disembarking the aircraft, and a set of night vision goggle photos taken during an assault operation during an urban area exercise at night. This Friday, the Spanish Defense Staff (EMAD) also published four photos of this training.

This exercise took place on September 13 at Marine Corps Outlying Field (MCOLF) Atlantic on the North Carolina coast. It is a training range used by MCAS Cherry Point Marine Air Base for helicopter, tiltrotor, and aggressor operations.

The history of MCOLF dates back to World War II. It was established as an airfield on December 4, 1942. This site covers an area of ​​594 hectares. The MCOLF has three old runways and an aircraft apron. A curiosity on that apron there are two authentic Polish MiG-21 fighters, which are painted as Chinese J-7 fighters, and a full-scale mock-up of a Chinese J-20 stealth fighter, a way to make exercises more realistic.

The MV-22Bs used in this exercise belong to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (VMM-261) "Raging Bulls," a unit created in 1951 and based at MCAS New River, North Carolina, about 100 kilometers west of the training ground. You can see more images of this exercise here.

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Photos: U.S. Marine Corps / Estado Mayor de la Defensa.