Entirely New Category of Aircraft Coming to Aviation
Industry
After once being labeled "all but
dead" before a massive program overhaul, approval has just
been granted by the US Defense Department for Full Rate Production
(FRP) of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. Current
plans include the delivery of 360 aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps
(USMC), 50 for the U.S. Air Force and 48 for the U.S. Navy. The
total program is worth in excess of $19 billion to Bell and Textron
through 2018.
With FRP, the U.S. Government has authorized Bell and Boeing to
increase current low-rate production of 11 aircraft per year up to
48. Wednesday's FRP decision by the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB)
follows the successful completion of extensive Operational
Evaluation testing, conducted last summer by the USMC.
This revolutionary tiltrotor technology combines fixed-wing
airplane and vertical lift capabilities into one efficient and
extremely capable aircraft that can take off and land like a
helicopter and fly like an airplane, providing military customers
with significant improvements in combat capabilities - including
speeds and range two to three times more than that of conventional
helicopters, as well as increased payloads, survivability and
reliability.
"The V-22 Osprey is an unprecedented feat in aviation and an
excellent example of how our investments in innovation are fueling
organic growth for Textron," said Lewis B. Campbell, Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron. "Bell's tiltrotor
technology is enabling new capabilities and more operational
flexibility for our military customers never before thought
possible and will undoubtedly take 21st Century flight to a new
dimension. So much so that the FAA is creating an entirely new
class of aircraft specifically for the tiltrotor."
"Now that we are authorized for full rate production, U.S.
Forces will soon have the most versatile aircraft in the world -
which will provide a tremendous advantage in the face of
ever-changing future combat challenges around the globe," said
Michael A. Redenbaugh, Chief Executive Officer of Bell Helicopter.
"Not only is this a pivotal moment for Bell and the literally
thousands of employees who helped bring the V-22 to life, but today
we mark a truly game-changing advancement in the aviation industry.
With this decision, tiltrotor technology has come to life in a big
way."
"In addition, today's FRP decision provides us with an
opportunity to deliver on our customer commitment to produce the
aircraft in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible,
ultimately bringing costs down," added Redenbaugh. "And while
there's a lot of work to be done, we have the talent, resources and
infrastructure in place to achieve this goal." Redenbaugh also
noted that Bell expects to reach in excess of $1.5 billion in
annual V-22 revenue in 2012 when the program reaches planned
capacity of 48 aircraft per year.
The initial Ospreys, called "MV-22s" will be delivered to the
USMC for use in combat assault. Each Osprey can carry 24 Marines
with full combat gear. The Air Force version of the tiltrotor,
called the "CV-22," is a Special Operations aircraft designed for
the long range insertion and removal of special teams. Other
mission critical capabilities for the V-22 include combat
search-and-rescue, aerial refueling and anti-submarine warfare.
With potential future foreign and domestic military sales and
the possibilities for next generation tiltrotor development --
tiltrotor technology continues to be an important growth area for
the company. Earlier this month the Bell Boeing team was awarded a
research contract by the U.S. Army to perform conceptual design and
analysis of its next generation tiltrotor technology called the
"Quad Tiltrotor" aircraft for the Army's Joint Heavy Lift
program.
Tiltrotor technology is also expected to play a significant role
in commercial applications such as emergency disaster relief and
emergency medical evacuation, regional passenger/cargo transport,
search-and-rescue, offshore oil field support and anti-drug
efforts, via the company's development of a civil tiltrotor
aircraft, which is currently undergoing flight-testing.