Navy awards $102.8M for additional V-22 Osprey support

March 23 (UPI) -- Bell Boeing JPO was awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy for services in support of the V-22 Osprey aircraft.

The deal, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $102.8 million under the terms of a modified contract that definitize delivery order.

The agreement between the Navy and Bell Boeing JPO enables the company to provide repair of various parts on the V-22 aircraft.

The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft has the capability to take off and land vertically and on short runways. It is primarily used by the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force.

The concept for the aircraft was developed in the late 1980s, with its first flight occurring in March 1989. However, the Osprey would not be fully fielded to military aviation units until 2007, due to overrun costs on development and a history of failed flight attempts.

Work on the contract will occur in Fort Worth, Tx., and Ridley Park, Pa. and is expected to be complete in December 2019.

The modified contract brings the total value of the contract to more than $344.2 million. Navy fiscal year 2018 working capital funds will be used in individual orders.

The Pentagon says those funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

In January, Bell-Boeing JPO was awarded another contract to provide hardware and software upgrades for 28 V-22 Osprey aircraft.

In November 2017, Bell-Boeing JPO was awarded a contract valued at more than $10 million for "field representative and logistic support services" to support the V-22 aircraft for the government of Japan.

Earlier in August 2017, Japan received its first 17 V-22 Ospreys from the United States. Bell-Boeing JPO estimates its work on the November 2017 contract for Japan will be complete in December 2019.