The Bell Boeing Joint Program Office has secured a new $69.6m contract modification to upgrade the readiness and reliability of the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
The V-22 aircraft are being jointly manufactured by US firms Boeing and Textron’s subsidiary Bell Helicopter.
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V-22 Osprey is a joint service, multirole combat aircraft that uses tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.
The latest deal will see the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey team upgrade three existing MV-22 aircraft in support of the V-22 common configuration-readiness and modernisation (CC-RAM) programme.
USMC V-22 joint programme manager colonel Matthew Kelly said: “The CC-RAM programme is the cornerstone for MV-22 long-term sustainment and affordability.
“We look forward to the supportability benefits this programme will provide, as the MV-22 continues to effectively deliver marines into and out of harm’s way.”
The MV-22 aircraft that are scheduled for upgrade previously arrived last week at Boeing’s Philadelphia facility, where the majority of the work will be completed.
Additional modification work is anticipated to be carried out at the Bell Helicopter facility in Fort Worth, Texas, US.
Two additional MV-22 aircraft are also slated to arrive at Boeing’s facility within the next year.
Bell Boeing V-22 Programme programme director and Boeing Tiltrotor Programmes vice-president Kristin Houston said: “Our team is ready to take the MV-22 programme into the future.
“Our integrated approach to managing CC-RAM will extend V-22 service-life for the Marines and provide modernised technical capabilities to dedicated servicemen and women around the world.”
