$88.1M to Upgrade 4 MV-22 Ospreys
The Bell Helicopter – Boeing Tilt Rotor Team in Amarillo, TX received an $88.1 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fix-fee contract (N00019-96-C-0054) to accept Engineering Change Proposal V-22-0704 for rework of 4 Lot III MV-22 (Marine variant) Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) tiltrotor aircraft used in testing and evaluation to MV-22 Osprey Block A/B operational configuration.
For those counting, that’s $22 million for each refitted aircraft. MV-22 Ospreys are currently headed to Iraq for deployment, reportedly with significant limitations on their use in order to avoid a catastrophe for the program.
Work will be performed in Amarillo, TX (42%); Ridley Park, PA (30%); and Fort Worth, TX (28%) and is expected to be complete in November 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.