Article Posted on : - Jul 15, 2015

V-22 Osprey. A US Navy photo by Paul Farley.

PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND (BNS): The US navy has awarded a contract for five Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to be delivered to Japan, marking the first sale of the aircraft through the US government's foreign military sales programme.

Bell Boeing, a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter, a Textron company, and Boeing has been awarded the contract for  Block C aircraft including support, training, and equipment.

The versatile V-22 tiltrotor will allow Japan's Ground Self-Defence Force to greatly enhance capabilities, while providing an ideal platform for relief efforts in response to natural disasters.

"This is an important day for the Bell Boeing team in Japan and for the US-Japan Alliance," said Shelley Lavender, president of Boeing Military Aircraft.

"The V-22 redefines what's operationally possible for a country, and we're looking forward to delivering this capability to Japan as we continue our enduring partnership there."

The V-22 is currently in service with the United States Marine Corps and the Air Force Special Operations Command. This year, the United States Navy announced their decision to procure 44 V-22 aircraft.

"The Bell Boeing team is honoured to have Japan as the first international customer for the V-22 tiltrotor," said Mitch Snyder, executive vice president of Military Business for Bell Helicopter.

"The distinct performance envelope of the V-22 will provide Japan with an ideal solution when the need arises. When assets are required on-target in a location without an airstrip, the self-deployable Osprey provides customers with an unrivalled combination of speed, range, and payload to execute a variety of missions."

The Osprey's mission capabilities include troop transport, disaster relief, personnel recovery, medical evacuation, logistics support, and executive transport, a Boeing statement said.