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Bell Boeing delivers 400th V-22 Osprey

The Bell Boeing V-22 team recently delivered its 400th aircraft, a CV-22 for U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command.

The first production V-22 was delivered on May 24, 1999, and today deliveries occur under the Multi-year Procurement III contract valued at US$5 billion. That contract runs through 2024 and includes variants for the U.S. Marines, Air Force and Navy, as well as the first international customer, Japan.

“We’re focused on building and supporting these incredible aircraft so our customers can complete their air, land and sea missions worldwide,” said Shane Openshaw, vice president of Tiltrotor Programs and deputy director of the Bell Boeing team.

Bell Boeing explains the CV-22 variant of the aircraft primarily performs special operations missions, including infiltration, extraction and resupply. The Marine Corps variant, the MV-22B, provides transportation of personnel, supplies and equipment for combat assault, assault support, and fleet logistics. The Navy variant, the CMV-22B, is the replacement for the C-2A Greyhound for the carrier onboard delivery mission.

“It’s been over 20 years since the first production V-22 was delivered and we are proud to reach another milestone in our 400th delivery. V-22s continue to be in high demand, protecting our country and our allies around the world through combat operations, international training partnerships and humanitarian missions,” said Marine Corps Col. Matthew Kelly, program manager for the V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275). “This platform’s impact can’t be overstated.”

The V-22 has been deployed in a variety of combat, special operations, and humanitarian roles since becoming operational in 2007. It has accumulated more than 500,000 flight hours.