Bell Boeing Delivers First Modified Osprey To USMC

Bell Boeing delivered the first modified MV-22 Osprey to the United States Marine Corps (USMC) on Tuesday.

The Marines have multiple configurations of the MV-22 aircraft in service. Under the Common Configuration – Readiness and Modernization (CC-RAM) program, Bell Boeing is reducing the number of configurations by upgrading block “B” aircraft to the current block “C” configuration.

As a block B configuration, this MV-22 was originally delivered to the fleet in 2005. In 2018, the aircraft flew from Marine Corps Air Station New River back to the Boeing Philadelphia facility for modernization.

“Through this campaign, Bell Boeing, in partnership with HQMC and NAVAIR, is returning improved MV-22s to the fleet where the V-22 continues to be an essential aviation resource worldwide," said Chris Gehler, Bell V-22 VP and Program Director.

The next CC-RAM delivery is expected in early 2020.

In November 2019, the US Navy awarded Bell Boeing $146 million to upgrade nine additional MV-22 aircraft under the CC-RAM program, with work expected to be completed in March 2022.