The U.S. Navy has awarded Bell Boeing Joint Project Office a $24 million deal to supply critical retrofit kits aimed at improving the V-22 Osprey’s propulsion system, the Department of Defense announced.
The $24,029,656 order, issued under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement, will provide 124 propulsion rotor hub spring and drive link retrofit kits. According to the Pentagon, 120 of the kits are designated for the U.S. Marine Corps, while four will support Japan under Foreign Military Sales.
In a release, the Department of Defense said work on the contract will be performed in Amarillo, Texas, with an expected completion date of December 2028.
The funding for the contract includes $17.4 million in fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds, $5.8 million in fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds, and $775,150 from Foreign Military Sales customer funds. Of that total, $5.8 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, the announcement noted.
The Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, Maryland, is overseeing the contracting activity.
The V-22 Osprey, jointly developed by Bell and Boeing, combines the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a turboprop aircraft. The Marine Corps relies heavily on the Osprey for troop transport, logistics, and combat support missions.
Japan, the only international operator of the V-22, procured its aircraft through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program as part of efforts to expand amphibious and air mobility capabilities in the Pacific region.
Bell Boeing’s facility in Amarillo serves as the primary production and support hub for the V-22 program.