Bell Boeing delivers 400th V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor
The Bell Boeing V-22 team has delivered its 400th aircraft, a CV-22 for the US Air Force Special Operations Command.
The first production V-22 was delivered on May 24, 1999,…
The Bell Boeing V-22 team has delivered its 400th aircraft, a CV-22 for the US Air Force Special Operations Command.
The first production V-22 was delivered on May 24, 1999, and today deliveries occur under the Multi-year Procurement III contract valued at $5 billion. The agreement, which runs through 2024, includes variants for the Marines, Air Force, and Navy, as well as the first international customer, Japan.
Shane Openshaw, vice president of Tiltrotor Programs and deputy director of the Bell Boeing team said:.“I want to thank everyone who has made the V-22 successful for their hard work and dedication to the women and men who operate the Osprey. We’re focused on building and supporting these incredible aircraft so our customers can complete their air, land and sea missions worldwide.”
V-22 hovers and lands like a helicopter, flies distances like a turboprop
The V-22 takes off, hovers, and lands like a helicopter yet flies long distances like a turboprop aircraft. The CV-22 variant performs special operations missions, including infiltration, extraction, and resupply, that conventional aircraft can’t. The Marine Corps variant, the MV-22B, provides the safe transportation of personnel, supplies, and equipment for combat assault, assault support, and fleet logistics. The Navy variant, the CMV-22B, is the replacement for the C-2A Greyhound for the carrier onboard delivery mission.
Marine Corps Col. Matthew Kelly, programme manager for the V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) added: “It’s been over 20 years since the first production V-22 was delivered and we are proud to reach another milestone in our 400th delivery. V-22s continue to be in high demand, protecting our country and our allies around the world through combat operations, international training partnerships and humanitarian missions. This platform’s impact can’t be overstated.”
The V-22 has been deployed in a variety of combat, special operations, and humanitarian roles since becoming operational in 2007. Having accumulated more than 500,000 flight hours, the V-22 is safe, survivable, and combat proven. Post-delivery support includes comprehensive maintenance, modifications and supply chain expertise, innovative data insights and more than 160 field operations employees embedded at customer locations.
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