Bell-Boeing has been awarded a modification contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to deliver additional V-22 Osprey aircraft for the US Marine Corps (USMC).
The five-year deal follows the company’s previously awarded V-22 Lot 17 action/Lot 18 advance acquisition contract.
Under the recent $4.89bn fixed-price-incentive-fee multiyear contract, Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office will supply 92 MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft for the USMC and seven CV-22 tiltrotor aircraft for the US Air Force (USAF).
The tilt-rotor aircraft is being developed in configurations such as combat assault and support MV-22 for the USMC and the US Army; the long-range special operations CV-22 for US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM); and the US Navy HV-22 for combat search-and-rescue, special warfare and fleet logistic support.
Designed to perform multiple missions with long-range, high-speed cruise performance, the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey is powered by twin Rolls-Royce AE 1107C-Liberty engines and has maximum and cruise speeds of 565km/h and 510km/h respectively.
Armed with an M240G 7.62mm machine gun and ATK AN/AAR-47 missile warning system, the aircraft features both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities.
Additional features of the fully shipboard compatible aircraft include glass cockpit, equipped with six night-vision goggle compatible displays.
The aircraft can support naval operations such as combat search-and-rescue, fleet logistics support, special warfare support, and amphibious assault, as well as long-range special operations infiltration and exfiltration.
Work is scheduled to be complete in September 2019, with the US Naval Air Systems Command serving as the contracting activity.
Image: A USMC’s MV-22 Osprey aircraft conducts mission at sea. Photo: courtesy of US Navy by Lt jg Anthony Falvo (Released).
