BELL BOEING executives still hope that production rates on the V-22 Osprey military tilt-rotor programme may be increased, despite a US Department of Defense (DoD) rebuttal of their proposal.
The DoD has rejected a request to increase the V-22 production rate and switch to multi-year contracting which, the officials claim, could save the Pentagon $9 billion.
The joint venture will deliver 425 MV-22Bs to the US Marine Corps, 48 HV-22Bs to the US Navy, and 50 CV-22Bs to the US Air Force over the next 25 years at an average production rate of 21 a year. Bell Boeing advised Paul Kaminiski, the Pentagon's acquisition chief, in August that multi-year contracting and a production rate of 36 aircraft a year for the USMC and 12 each for the USN and USAF would allow all 523 V-22s to be fielded within 14 years, saving 25% of the V-22's estimated $36 billion cost.
In a mid-September reply, however, Kaminski said: "While I agree that an accelerated production rate that could realise economic order quantities has great potential to reduce overall programme cost, the appropriate time to consider this approach must be balanced against programme risk and maturity."
Kaminiski says that he will consider V-22 multi-year procurement "-when the programme demonstrates sufficient maturity. The necessary conditions have historically been achieved at the full-rate production milestone decision, due in calendar year 2000".
The firm interprets the letter as saying that Kaminiski will reconsider the request in February during a Defence Acquisition Board review of the programme.
Source: Flight International
