Squadron coming to Cannon

Courtesy photo A military spending bill signed by President Bush this month includes six CV-22 aircraft for Cannon Air Force Base. The 20th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt field is slated to fly the aircraft at Cannon Air Force Base.

A helicopter squadron at Hurlburt Field in Florida that was deactivated last Friday will be assigned to Cannon Air Force Base in the future, according to an Air Force Special Operations Command press release.

The 20th Special Operations Squadron will fly CV-22 aircraft at Cannon.

A military spending bill signed by President Bush includes six of the aircraft for Cannon.

A timeline for the squadron or the aircraft is not set, according to Capt. Laura Ropelis of AFSOC public affairs.

The CV-22 is a tiltrotor aircraft capable vertical takeoffs and hovering. It’s mission is to conduct long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces, according to a Air Force fact sheet on the aircraft.

The aircraft requires a four-man crew of two pilots and two engineers, according to the fact sheet.

Nicknamed the “Green Hornets,” the 20th Special Operations Squadron has conducted operations all over the world, including Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Before its deactivation, the squadron flew MH-53J/M Pave Low helicopters.