The U.S. Air Force has begun testing the newest Snowmobile Loading And Transportation System that was specially developed for CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
The snowmobile perhaps is the most unconventional cargo in the arsenal of Special Operations Wing CV-22 Osprey, but currently, this type of special vehicle is very actually for covert military operations in the Arctic.
According to recent service news release, Airmen from the 352nd Special Operations Wing have practiced using the new Snowmobile Loading And Transportation System, or SLATS, in Norway.
“The CV22s that RD works a little bit with snowmobile, and search and extraction, bringing them to where we need them, and then picking them back up,” said 352nd Special Operations Wing Serviceman.
Currently, Air Force Engineers developed a new load system for supporting snowmobile operations that consist of rubber horse-style mats that loaded in the bottom of the cabin, attached with carabiners.
The new SLATS system allows quickly and efficiently load snowmobiles onto the СМ-22 aircraft in high-paced operations.
The SLATS could be a signal the Pentagon is getting serious about Arctic sovereignty disputes.
