He also ordered the Joint Vertical Aircraft Road Map Task Force to assess the V-22 production profile alternatives against the department's overall investment in the rotarywing industrial sector and the eventual needs to replace and or refurbish aging aircraft.
They are senior naval aviators with about 25 years of experience in naval aviation communities that operate fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft from carriers.
The Navy organizes its most capable warfighting units around those vessels, each of which hosts about 90 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft launched from four-acre flight decks.
"Afghan National Army forces and U.S. soldiers operating in the area quickly moved to the site and cordoned off the insurgent forces by use of small-arms fire and support from coalition fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, " the military statement said.