BELL BOEING has received a US Navy contract to design changes to the V-22 for the special-operations mission. A follow-on contract is expected in 1996, to convert the second of four MV-22 engineering- and manufacturing-development aircraft to the CV-22 special-operations configuration.
The US Air Force plans to buy 50 CV-22As to meet US Special Operations Command's long-range airlift mission, "requiring low-level terrain-following flight in all weather, day or night," says Bell Boeing. The CV-22 will fill a shortfall in long-range exfiltration capability and complement the Lockheed MC-130E/H Combat Talon on infiltration and resupply missions, the team says.
Boeing will perform 55% of the development work and Bell 45%.
Source: Flight International
