Unleashing Hell: Boeing-Bell Runs Osprey Mosque Attack Ad

Revealing an unadorned truth in military arms advertising?

Ad shows soldiers rappelling from the chopper onto the roof of a building,
which says in Arabic on the side, "Muhammad Mosque."


(click image to enlarge)

"It descends from the heavens. Ironically it unleashes hell," reads the ad, which ran this week in the National Journal and earlier in the Armed Forces Journal. The ad also stated: "Consider it a gift from above." seattletimes

Wonder if this is any reflection on sales, since the MV-22 Osprey crash near Marana, Arizona killed 19 Marines?

[edit on 3-10-2005 by Regenmacher]

Nope. No reflection on sales. It is being mass produced, with 360 aircraft going to the USMC, 48 to the USN, and 50 to the USAF. The Osprey is coming, providing a brand new flexability to the US military machine.

As far as the ad, who cares? Insensative? Sure, who cares. This is a military aircraft, not some civilian passanger plane - they don't need to be PC. It is built to go to war. We are at war in the middle east against Islamic extremists who often hide in Mosques. Too bad the US doesn't go into Mosques like that more often - we are far too sensative to political feelings then we should be.

Here's a question for everyone ?
What's it going to be armed with??? Apart from side door machine guns.
Is there any provisions for missiles or rocket pods.

I thought the had shelved the Osprey Didnt have some design faults that resulted in the deaths of some Marines? Im not really up on US Aircraft tech, but i hadnt heard anything about the Osprey for an age and at the time there were rumbleings that the Marines or your Congress were going to scrap the program.


EDIT: Ah i see Regenmacher included that in his post, that will teach me to read the full post. Sorry.


[edit on 3-10-2005 by Janus]

It's a really dumb ad campaign, if they hope to ever garner export sales to friendly Muslim countries like Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia etc etc...

Were I Boeing-Bell I'd be ditching this ad ASAP.
The perfect foil for their competitors to use in Muslim markets to create controversy and cost them contracts.

the " PC" ness doesnt bother me - but it should bother those in charge - its all about image , and this image will appear on ismamist web sites claiming " look proof that the great satan is planning to attack mosques "

there are houndreds of simulated senarios that would have highlighted the ospey capabilities in a positive light

my personal view is , i know its only an ad , but it screams to me :

please line up a bunch of muppets with RPGS and practice volley fire [ as at mogudishu ]

Originally posted by Janus
I thought the had shelved the Osprey Didnt have some design faults that resulted in the deaths of some Marines?

Last I read in regards of the Osprey crash investigation they found that a Marine commander had falsified maintenance records to give the bird flight ready status. How much truth to that is dependent on how much influence the defense lobbyists have...ahemm.

_____________________________

As for the above ad and current mindset of "Kill'em all and let Allah sort them out",
how far does it go before we start seeing something like this?



Well so much for diplomacy.



[edit on 3-10-2005 by Regenmacher]

Found this

Boeing, Bell, National Journal Apologize for 'Mosque Attack' Ad


(Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations; issued Sept. 30, 2005)


WASHINGTON --- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group said this afternoon that Boeing Co., Bell Helicopter Textron and National Journal magazine have apologized for a print advertisement depicting U.S. troops attacking a mosque.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it had received a statement of apology from Boeing, which sponsored the ad along with Bell. Boeing wrote:

"The CV-22 advertisement that appeared in the National Journal is clearly offensive, and did not proceed through the normal channels within Boeing before production.

"'We consider the ad offensive, regret its publication and apologize to those who like us are dismayed with its contents,' said Mary Foerster, Vice President of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Communications.

"'When the Company became aware of the advertisement we immediately requested that our partner's agency withdraw and destroy all print proofs of the advertisement and replace it with one that was appropriate,' Foerster said. 'Unfortunately despite our best efforts to have the ad replaced, a clerical error at the National Journal resulted in its publication this week.'"

Representatives of Bell Helicopter and National Journal also contacted CAIR to express regret for the publication of the ad.

Boeing, Bell, National Journal Apologize for 'Mosque Attack' Ad

Mod Edit: Fixed Link

[edit on 10/3/05 by FredT]

On a business level, I think it's very bad for sales, as xmotex pointed out, especially to friendly arabic countries who might be interested in buying the Osprey...or any other aircraft for that matter. Boeing is major a company, so with that image is everything, they SHOULD always care about thier image..it's not like it's a small mom and pop company.

But on a personel level, seriously...it's not bothering anyone, who gives a crap. Why does everybody have to be so PC these days?

sporty

[edit on 3/10/2005 by SportyMB]

Isn't that technique called "fast roping"? I thought you only rapel down steep inclines.

The add is a mistake, not that we could aggravate the extremists with it, just that it might help create more, say like invading Iraq, another mistake, imo.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
Isn't that technique called "fast roping"? I thought you only rapel down steep inclines.

Fast roping is still a form of repelling.

I think Boeing is more worried about comercial avaiation sales to Middle East nations with oil money than they are about selling Ospreys. Thats why they moved fast to apologise.

Isn't that technique called "fast roping"? I thought you only rapel down steep inclines.

Yes it is...it's not rappelling, IMO, there is no need to wear a harnuss....just a pair of gloves. It's just like when you were a kid sliding down a rope, a really big rope.

sporty



[edit on 3/10/2005 by SportyMB]

Hmmm, the belay in this case is the Osprey itself

Also if you look at this Marine Corp Guide it details the equipment needed to fastrope such as a caribiner etc. Its actually a cool document and details the procedures used. However, it is a form of repelling using friction to slow your decent etc.

Fast Roping

Hmmm, the belay in this case is the Osprey itself

A belay device controls the speed of descent or fall of the person, in this case the Osprey is used as an anchor, not a belay

Also if you look at this Marine Corp Guide it details the equipment needed to fastrope such as a caribiner etc.

The ropes are friggen thick as hell....a biner would not fit around it....seriously they're like as thick as my wrist.

This link may help a little....
Link here


[edit on 3/10/2005 by SportyMB]

Good point about Boeing's commercial aircraft sales to Muslim countries. they have a hell of a lot more at stake here than a few Ospreys. Can you say Airbus 380?

Sorry to derail the thread with a detail question about fast roping versus rapelling. I hate it when that happens to my threads. I just wanted to clarify which technique was being used, and I don't know if one is a form of the other, and I guess in this thread it doesn't really matter.

Originally posted by SportyMB
A belay device controls the speed of descent or fall of the person, in this case the Osprey is used as an anchor, not a belay

Sorry, but having climbed untill I go married and way out of shape, a Belay is defined as

Nautical To secure or make fast (a rope, for example) by winding on a cleat or pin.
2. To secure (a mountain climber, for example) at the end of a length of rope.
3. To cause to stop.
v.intr.
1. To be made secure.
2. Used in the imperative as an order to stop: Belay there!
n.
1. The securing of a rope on a rock or other projection during mountain climbing.
2. An object, such as a rock, to which a mountain climber's rope can be secured.
www.thefreedictionary.com...

So for the purposes of the fast roping, the Osprey is the Belay

Typical verbage during a pitch

On Belay?
Belay on
Ready to climb?
Climb on
Climbing!

[edit on 10/3/05 by FredT]

i dont dink they should be goin kaka over this ad. would people complain if the ad was in the jungle or some urban city in Europe, etc?

Originally posted by FredT
I think Boeing is more worried about comercial avaiation sales to Middle East nations with oil money than they are about selling Ospreys. Thats why they moved fast to apologise.

Exactly.

It's not the osprey they are worried about, it's selling brand new comercial airliners.

Originally posted by xmotex
It's a really dumb ad campaign, if they hope to ever garner export sales to friendly Muslim countries like Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia etc etc...

Were I Boeing-Bell I'd be ditching this ad ASAP.
The perfect foil for their competitors to use in Muslim markets to create controversy and cost them contracts.

Unless their competitors are running the same sort of ads

Besides I doubt these ' friendly ' muslim countries could afford to buy them anyway

Besides I doubt these ' friendly ' muslim countries could afford to buy them anyway

The issue is not just about selling the Osprey. it's about selling other Boeing aircraft aswell. And the Commercial Airliner business is booming in the middle east. Many of thier aircraft are made by Boeing.

Royal Jordanian Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Egypt Air, El-Al, Emirates Airline, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Kuwait Airways all use Boeing Aircraft (got the info from google).

IMO, This ad is not gonna effect sales to the middle east. The buyers are looking for the best deals and if Boeing has it, they're gonna buy regardless of what some sales ad says or depicts.....it's all about money.

Anyways, the ad is still bad business etiquette, IMO

[edit on 4/10/2005 by SportyMB]