The U.S. Navy executed funding procurement for the second year of the V-22aircraft’s $6.5 billion multi-year procurement (MYPII) contract, a service administrator announced Dec. 17, 2013.
This action identifies full funding to defense contractor Bell-Boeing for the second year of the V-22 MYPII contract and provides $1.3 billion for the procurement of 22 V-22 aircraft (three Air Force CV-22s and 19 Marine Corps MV-22s) and Advance Procurement funds for 19 MV-22 aircraft to be fully funded in fiscal year 2015.
The MYPII, signed in June 2013, authorizes purchase of 100 V-22s over the next 5 years (fiscal 2013-2017). The multi-year contract will procure 93 MV-22s for the Marine Corps and seven CV-22s for the Air Force.
“Since Initial Operating Capability in 2007, V-22 Ospreys have been answering the nation’s call traveling into harm’s way,” said U.S. Marine Col. Dan Robinson, who heads the V-22 Joint Program Office based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
“From combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to the recent disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in the Philippines, the V-22 continues to prove itself as a game-changing aircraft. Ospreys enable our Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations to execute missions not possible with conventional aircraft. The V-22 has helped save lives where others could not.”
Execution of this portion of the contract is not only good news for the government but also saves money, Robinson said.
“In addition to providing V-22 production stability for these 5 years, the MYPII contract also creates cost savings that wouldn’t be possible in single-year contracts,” Robinson said.
“This multi-year contract provides nearly $1 billion in taxpayer savings and ensures a stable production line for the program to accommodate and engage other domestic and international partnership opportunities," Robinson said.
The V-22 Osprey is the world’s first production tiltrotor aircraft. The V-22 successfully blends the vertical flight capabilities of helicopters with the speed, range, altitude and endurance of fixed-wing transports. The Marine Corps Osprey, the MV-22, is the replacement for the Marine Corps CH-46E Sea Knight medium-lift assault support helicopter. The Osprey provides twice the speed, six times the range, and three times the payload of the Sea Knight. The CV-22 is an Air Force-modified version of the Marine Corps V-22 used to conduct long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces.
Source: Naval Air Systems Command