Bell-Boeing to Support Ongoing V-22 Osprey Tests

Bell-Boeing has won a $23 million United States (US) Navy contract to support ongoing flight test and evaluation of the V-22 Osprey test military aircraft.

Work will be performed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland (90 percent); and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2018. 

The V-22 Osprey is the primary assault support aircraft with twin rotor engines for vertical take-off and landing that can be tilted forward for conventional turboprop flight, allowing much higher speed and endurance than conventional helicopters.

It can carry 24 fully equipped Marines and has a range of nearly 600 miles, greatly exceeding conventional helicopters. The aircraft also forms part of the US President's HMX-1 squadron for transporting staff and equipment.