The Bell Boeing Joint Project Office signed an estimated $143.9 million contract with the Pentagon for V-22 Osprey logistics and engineering support. Photo courtesy of Boeing
Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency signed an estimated $143.9 million contract with Bell Boeing Joint Project Office for V-22 Osprey performance-based logistics and engineering support.
The 11-month base contract with four one-year option periods includes firm-fixed-price requirements, the agency announced Friday in Philadelphia. It expands on work done since 2008 and adds support for the Navy's CMV-22B variant, according to Boeing, which is in a joint venture with Bell Helicopter.
Work is expected to be completed Nov. 30 in Texas and Pennsylvania for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps. Funding is from fiscal 2019 through 2020 in various Air Force, SOCOM and Navy appropriations.
Last July, Bell Boeing received a $4 billion contract that included the manufacture and delivery of 39 CMV-22B aircraft for the Navy, 14 MV-22B aircraft for the Marine Corps and one CV-22B for the Air Force.
More than 200 V-22 Ospreys, including the MV-22 and CV-22 variants, are already in the operational fleet, according to Boeing.
"As one of the most in-demand assets for the U.S. military, the V-22 needs a support team that understands the technical aspects of the aircraft as well as customers' operational needs," Pat Walsh, retired admiral and Boeing vice president for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Services, said in a press release. "Bell Boeing is excited to bring our OEM expertise to the V-22 fleet and deliver solutions that help ensure the aircraft are ready for any mission."
The Bell Boeing V-22 is the world's first production tiltrotor aircraft. The two-pilot craft with two crew members can take off, land and hover like a helicopter with its rotors in vertical position. And once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of flight with a maximum speed of 270 knots, 879-nautical range and 25,000-foot altitude. Its lift capability is 523,600 pounds.
The first V-22 Osprey was delivered to the Marines in 2012. The Osprey has provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, amphibious assault and medical evacuation missions.
