The Bell Boeing Joint Project Office is being awarded $18 million for engineering work on the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

The modification to an existing contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, applies to Osprey's in use by the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and the government of Japan under Foreign Military Sales.The engineering work is expected to run through December 2022.

The V-22 Osprey is the primary assault support aircraft of the U.S. Marine Corps. It has a unique design that uses twin rotor engines for vertical take-off and landing that can be tilted forward for conventional turboprop flight, allowing much higher speed and endurance than conventional helicopters.

It can carry 24 fully equipped Marines and has a range of nearly 600 miles, greatly exceeding conventional helicopters. It also forms part of the U.S. President's HMX-1 squadron for transporting staff and equipment.

A Navy aircraft carrier and sea base supply and personnel delivery version called the CMV-22B with longer range and cargo capacity is being deployed as well.

The Air Force also deploys a version of the aircraft for special operations purposes.

The Osprey has faced a number of design problems with accidents that have killed dozens, causing controversy over it's innovative but complex design and development time going back to 1989.

Navy to refurbish T64 aircraft engines for Sea Stallion helicopters
Washington (UPI) Dec 13, 2018 - General Electric Aviation has been awarded $157.7 million by the Navy for support of the T64 aircraft engine.

Work on the contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, is expected to run through June 2024 and will be funded using defense working capital funds from 2019 to 2024.

The T64 is the engine used for Sea Stallion helicopters and many other types of aircraft.

The CH-53 Sea Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter that has been used in many variants for over 50 years. It saw extensive use during the Vietnam War and has served as one of the primary helicopters of U.S. naval aviation ever since.

The Sea Stallion is meant for transporting humanitarian aid, combat troops, and medical evacuation. It can also be used for special forces operations and combat search and rescue.

The upgraded King Stallion can carry up to 27,000 pounds of external sling load, allowing it to transport light vehicles and artillery for battlefield placement. It is capable of carrying large amounts of internal cargo depending on the mission and fuel requirements.

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Navy orders two E-2D Advanced Hawkeye planes from Northrop Grumman
Washington (UPI) Dec 11, 2018
The Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Systems $49.9 million for parts and other services for production of two Lot 7 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye radar aircraft. Work on the planes is expected to be completed in December 2023, and has been funded with 2019 Navy procurement funds, the Department of Defense said on Monday. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the current variant of the land and carrier-based radar and command-and-control plane. It is designed to provide radar sensor coverage and coordina ... read more