Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $544,668,978 modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm target, Lot 17-21 multi-year contract (N00019-12-C-2001). This modification provides for the long lead production materials and the manufacture and delivery of four MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft pursuant to the variation in quantity clause in support of the government of Japan; as well as incorporation of an engineering change proposal for the standby flight display. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (24.6 percent); Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (19.2 percent); Amarillo, Texas (10.4 percent); Dallas, Texas (4.3 percent); East Aurora, New York (2.5 percent); Park City, Utah (1.7 percent); El Segundo, California (1.3 percent); Endicott, New York (1 percent); Ontario, Canada (0.9 percent); Tempe, Arizona (0.8 percent); Corinth, Texas (0.8 percent); Rome, New York (0.7 percent); Torrance, California (0.7 percent); Luton, United Kingdom (0.6 percent); Los Angeles, California (0.6 percent); Cobham, United Kingdom (0.6 percent); Irvine, California (0.6 percent); San Diego, California (0.5 percent); Yakima, Washington (0.5 percent); Brea, California (0.5 percent); Rockmart, Georgia (0.5 percent); Albuquerque, New Mexico (0.4 percent); Whitehall, Michigan (0.4 percent); Wolverhampton, United Kingdom (0.4 percent); Tucson, Arizona (0.4 percent); Erie, Pennsylvania (0.3 percent); Vergennes, Vermont (0.3 percent); Kilgore, Texas (0.3 percent); Shelby, North Carolina (0.3 percent); Avon, Ohio (0.2 percent); Santa Clarita, California (0.2 percent); Garden City, New York (0.2 percent); El Cajon, California (0.2 percent); Sylmar, California (0.2 percent); Westbury, New York (0.1 percent); and various other locations inside and outside the U.S. (22.8 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2020. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $302,913,946 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
The decline in V-22 Osprey orders from the U.S. military in coming years means the tiltrotor transport’s manufacturers are likely to spend a lot of time wooing foreign military officers at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition May 16-18 at National Harbor, Md. – especially Britain’s new First Sea Lord, Adm. Sir Philip Jones.
Representatives from Bell Helicopter and Boeing Co., which make the V-22 in a 50-50 partnership, will have a V-22 fuselage on display at the Navy League conference. They surely would like to show Sir Philip, who is expected to attend, why they think the Royal Navy needs the new CMV-22B variant Osprey the U.S. Navy is buying for Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) – hauling cargo and passengers to and from aircraft carriers at sea.
After years of hesitation, the Navy finally decided last year to buy 44 CMV-22B variant Ospreys to replace its C-2A Greyhound airplanes in Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) missions. But the way the Navy handled the V-22 in this year’s budget calls into question how firm its commitment to buying that many Ospreys really is. The Navy has so many competing, expensive and higher priorities that some Osprey partisans wonder if the money will be there for all those aircraft in the end even if, as expected, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Osprey makers Bell Helicopter and Boeing Co. negotiate a new multiyear contract – a bulk purchase at lower unit prices. In other words, the poverty penalty could come into play.
“The stress on the budget is real, it’s acute,” said one retired Marine general. “We don’t know right now how many airplanes the Department of the Navy is going to buy. If the multi-year falls apart, it could be less.”
Under an informal rule set by Congress, multiyear contracts are required to provide at least a 10 percent saving over annual contracts. Under the final year of the program’s second multiyear contract, the Marine Corps requested 16 Ospreys in fiscal 2017 at a “flyaway” price of $74.7 million apiece. Future projections released with this year’s budget show that price rising to $94.7 million per Osprey if they don’t get a new multiyear.
Naval Air Systems Command awarded the Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office $151 million to begin engineering the Navy variant of the V-22 Osprey, which the service will use as a carrier onboard delivery plane.
The funding, adding onto an existing contract with Bell-Boeing, covers non-recurring engineering costs to add extended range, high frequency beyond line-of-sight radio and a public address system to the baseline MV-22 used by the Marine Corps. The Navy announced in February that its variant would be called the CMV-22B, a designation that combines the cargo-carrying nature of the Air Force’s CV-22 and the multimission and special forces-capable nature of the Marines’ MV-22.
The Spanish Navy (Armada Española) has claimed to be the first non-US naval service to embark a squadron of the US Marine Corps' (USMC's) Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft on board one of its ships. The embarkation took place during Exercise 'Trident Juncture 2015' that started in early October 2015 and jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Italy.
The four Osprey transports, which combine the vertical lift-off capability of a helicopter with the higher speed and payload flight of a turbo-prop aircraft, are stationed at the Morón de la Frontera Air Base in southern Spain.
For 'Trident Juncture 2015' the aircraft were embarked with six of the Armada's AV-8B Harrier and an AB-212 helicopter from the 27,000-tonne landing helicopter dock (LHD) Juan Carlos I .
"This event is a historic achievement both for the Marines and the Armada Española," said the Spanish Navy. "Never before has an American [Osprey] squadron formed part of an air unit embarked on a ship that does not belong to the US Navy."
The U.S. Navy hopes to combine U.S. Navy orders and potential foreign demand for the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co and Textron's Bell Helicopter in a third five-year agreement.
Marine Corps Colonel Dan Robinson, who runs the programme for the Navy, said on Tuesday the goal was to secure commitments from potential foreign buyers by June 2016 in order to get congressional approval for a multiyear, multibillion-dollar deal that could cut the plane's cost by 10 percent.
He said three or four countries had expressed strong interest in the aircraft, and estimated that the United States could sell 20 to 24 V-22 Ospreys to foreign countries in the near term.
India's Aviation Research Centre (ARC), responsible for electronic surveillance and signals intelligence along the country's borders with Pakistan and China, wants to acquire Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to augment its operational capabilities.
Bell-Boeing has recently provided the ARC with price estimates and delivery schedules for four Ospreys acquired via the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, official and industrial sources have told IHS Jane's .
The four aircraft would cost around USD500-600 million, industry sources have said.
The ARC, which operates alongside India's external intelligence-gathering agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), aims to use the Ospreys to deploy Special Frontier Force (SFF) personnel and provide them logistic support on 'sensitive missions'.
Congress has received notification of a potential $3 billon sale of 17 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and support equipment to Japan, according to a Tuesday announcement from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
In its statement, DSCA (pronounced dis-kah) said the potential sale would expand the ability of the Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) to operate more closely with the U.S. and extend the range of their ground forces.
“Japan is modernizing its transport fleet to better support its defense and special mission needs. The proposed sale of V-22B Block C Osprey aircraft will greatly enhance the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s humanitarian and disaster relief capabilities and support amphibious operations,” read the DSCA statement.
“This sale will promote burden sharing with our ally and interoperability with U.S. forces. Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft into its armed forces.”
The agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Tuesday.
In addition to the Osprey’s the deal’s outline would also include night vision goggles, a variety of radars, spare parts and training equipment.
Japan has been considering the buy at least since 2013 with 17 Osprey’s planned for as part of the country’s five-year mid-term defense program update as part of an emerging amphibious capability modeled on the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a January report in Flight Global.
Ospreys are key to the U.S Marine Corps posture in Western Pacific thanks tho their ability to fly further and faster than traditional helicopters and still land on a variety of ships.
For it’s part, Japan has commissioned the first of two Izumo-class large helicopter carriers that would make ideal launching platforms for the V-22s. U.S. Marines have also successfully tested V-22s on the onboard Japan’s Hyuga-class DDHs in 2013.
The announcement of the potential sale follows closely with a revision of U.S.-Japan guidelines that allow Japan and the U.S. closer operations.
The Navy has no immediate plans to explore using its planned fleet of V-22 Ospreys carrier onboard delivery aircraft to refuel its carrier aircraft, while the Marines are actively looking to include a tanking capability in its own tilt-rotor V-22s by 2017, service officials told USNI News on Monday.
Last year, the Navy selected the Bell Boeing V-22 to be the replacement for the service’s aging fleet of Northrop Grumman C-2A Greyhoud carrier onboard delivery (COD) that’s used to bring on supplies and material from shore to an embarked aircraft carrier.
While the has Navy touted some benefits of selecting the Osprey — its easier to get supplies to a ship at long range since the V-22 can land on more ships, not just the carrier — it’s not talked about the using the Navy Osprey as a refueling platform.
“While there is always a potential to leverage other V-22 capabilities down the road, our focus remains on seamlessly transitioning the Navy variant of the V-22 into the airwing to fulfill the carrier onboard delivery mission,” Navy spokesman Lt. Rob Myers told USNI News on Monday.
For its part, the Marines are currently developing the V-22 Aerial Refueling System (VARS), which is being developed in parallel with the planned first Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter deployment in 2017, according to the Marine Corps’ 2015 aviation plan.
Similar to the Harvest HAWK roll-on weapons kit for the Marine’s Lockheed Martin KC-130J, the system will be able to roll on and off the aircraft as needed, USNI News understands.
The goal of VARS is to include an organic tanking capability to the Marine Air Combat Element (ACE) of an embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) starting with tactical fighters and then moving into other aircraft.
For the Navy, the next tanking option is less obvious.
The Navy will buy V-22 Osprey tiltrotors to replace its aging C-2A Greyhound turboprop aircraft in flying carrier on board delivery (COD) missions. Breaking Defense obtained a Jan. 5 memo, signed by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford. It stipulates that the Navy will buy four V-22s each year from fiscal 2018 to 2020.
The MOU marks a major triumph for the Naval Air Systems Command V-22 program office, the Marine Corps and other Osprey advocates, who have argued for years that the Navy should replace its aging conventional take off C-2As with vertical take off and landing V-22s.
“The Navy is responsible for modifying these V-22s into an HV-22 configuration for the COD mission,” the MOU states. “The parties agree that subsequent documents will provide details on the concept of operations and milestones. A memorandum of agreement will detail reimbursable Marine Corps support for the Navy’s HV-22 transition, which includes training and potential deployment of Marine MV-22 aircraft and personnel to support COD requirements.”
Japan’s parliament has approved a Y4.98 trillion ($42 billion) defence budget for FY2015, with a strong emphasis on new airpower capabilities.
The budget, posted on the web site of Japan’s defence ministry, is 2.8% higher than in FY2014, and sets a new record for Japanese defence spending.
It contains funding for several major aircraft programmes, notably 20 Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft.
The budget will also see the radar and infrared sensors carried by the nation’s Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion aircraft upgraded, as well as service life extensions for three P-3Cs.
It also includes funding for five Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft, which will be part of a new amphibious capability modelled on the US Marine Corps.
Tokyo continues to place a premium on high-end intelligence surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.
The budget includes improvements on one Boeing E-767 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft, as well as the acquisition of one Northrop Grumman E-2D.
There is also funding toward Tokyo’s eventual procurement of the Northrop Grumman MQ-4 Global Hawk, but it does not specify a specific variant or the number of aircraft it plans to obtain.
Tokyo’s fighter fleet also gets a boost, with funding for six Lockheed Martin F-35As, the modernisation of eight F-15s, and improvements to nine Mitsubishi F-2 fighters.
Reports that Israel’s plan to buy a dozen V-22 Osprey tiltrotor troop transports is dead are — as Mark Twain said after reading his own incorrect obituary — greatly exaggerated. A U.S. Letter of Agreement offering a bargain price and early delivery of the first six of 12 Ospreys requested by Israel formally expired on Wednesday amid political turmoil in Tel Aviv and new elections scheduled for March 17. But a source close to the program said the Israeli Ministry of Defense sent a letter to the U.S. government this week asking that the U.S. offer be put on ice — not withdrawn — until a new Israeli government takes power in 2015.
“The requirement for the V-22 is strong from the point of view of the air force and the army and the special agencies,” this source said. “They all think it’s something the Israeli air force should have and provide services to all the customers with.” Built to carry 24 troops, the Osprey tilts two large wingtip rotors upward to take off and land like a helicopter and swivels them forward to fly like a turboprop airplane, giving it roughly twice the speed and five times the unrefueled range of conventional military helicopters.
Bell Boeing recently test fired laser-guided rockets from the V-22 Osprey aircraft in a series of mock combat demonstrations at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., showing for the first time that the tiltrotor aircraft can be used for offensive missile and rocket attacks.
The forward-firing flights at Yuma shot a range of guided and unguided rockets from the Osprey, including laser-guided folding-fin, Hyrda-70 Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System rockets and laser-guided Griffin B missiles, Bell helicopter officials said.
“The forward-firing demonstration was a great success,” Vince Tobin, vice president and program manager for the Bell Boeing V-22 said in a written statement. “We’ve shown the V-22 can be armed with a variety of forward-facing munitions, and can hit their targets with a high degree of reliability.”
Japan has announced the selection of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk for its high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) requirement and the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey for its tilt-rotor requirement.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) also confirmed that it would buy a Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. All three requirements were announced in the fiscal year 2015 budget request.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has canceled a still-unsigned multi-billion-dollar deal with the US for advanced military capabilities, amid strained ties with Washington.
The deal includes six V-22 aircraft, which the US has not released to any other country.
The decision, first reported by Israel Hayom and coming a week after Ya’alon was reportedly shunned by official Washington during a visit to the US, drew no comment from the Defense Ministry or the IDF.
A second foreign country is expected to announce plans within six months to buy the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor plane built by Boeing Co (BA.N) and Textron Inc's (TXT.N) Bell Helicopter unit, the top general in the U.S. Marine Corps said.
Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos declined to name the country that would join Israel in buying the large aircraft, but said this week that the deal should be announced during the next half year.
Sources familiar with the program said Japan would likely be that second buyer, noting that Japan's defense budget released in August requested funds for tilt-rotor aircraft. Over the longer-term, Japan is interested in 20 to 40 V-22s, according to the sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly.
U.S. officials have also provided briefings on the V-22 to the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Italy, Brazil, Colombia, Singapore, and Australia.
The Japanese defense
ministry has brought forward a proposal to construct at least one large
amphibious assault ship that will enlarge the country’s naval aviation
capability. The program may also enhance sales prospects for the Bell
Boeing V-22 Osprey.
Entry into service for the ship is
now targeted for the fiscal year from March 2019; previous plans implied
it would be commissioned in the early 2020s, if at all. The ministry
will request funding for studies of the ship for the budget year
beginning April 1, 2015, Jiji news agency reports.
Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are seeking a variety of helicopters, including the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, to offset China’s growing maritime threat in the East China and South China seas, and to deal with other security issues, such as humanitarian and disaster relief missions.
The stronger trend in Asia appears to be toward procuring utility helicopters, but attack helicopters are also in demand.
The Osprey
Japan and Singapore have expressed interest in the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, which takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane.
Japan has published new NDPG and plans to spend to JPY24.7 trillion on new platforms in the next five years
Tokyo will buy tilt-rotor aircraft, HALE UAVs, more destroyers, and establish an amphibious rapid-reaction force to deter any attempts to invade its offshore islands
Japan has announced plans to spend JPY24.7 trillion yen (USD240 billion) on new materiel over the next five years to build a 'Dynamic Joint Defense Force' that can maintain air and maritime superiority around its islands in the East China Sea and better respond to 'grey zone' situations.
The spending outline, published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 17 December, is a 5% increase on the MoD's existing budget and includes plans to buy 17 tilt-rotor aircraft, three high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 52 amphibious assault vehicles, and other capability enhancements across all three services.
On a rainy day in Paris earlier this year, the Marine Corps officer who oversees the V-22 Osprey program talked about the aircraft’s rising international demand.
More than a few countries are lining up to buy the tilt-rotor aircraft, which takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies like a plane, Col. Greg Masiello said during a June 17 press conference with reporters at the Paris Air Show. He didn’t specify which, though the Defense Department has already said Israel will be the first.
International sales of the V-22, made by a joint venture between Textron Inc.‘s Bell Helicopter unit and Boeing Co., may eventually reach more than 100 aircraft, Masiello said. That’s on top of the U.S. military’s planned purchase of 458 Ospreys, including 360 for the Marine Corps, 50 for the Air Force and 48 for the Navy, he said.
The Army, however, still doesn’t plan to buy any.
