The US Navy awarded Textron Inc.’s Bell Helicopter and Boeing Co. $1 billion to buy components for 16 V-22 Osprey aircraft through September 2009. The contract pays for long lead components that are associated with the production and delivery of 14 MV-22 versions of the tilt rotor aircraft and two Fiscal 2007 CV-22 versions for the Air Force.
The new defense reconciliation bill includes $7.2 billion for Air Force and Navy aviation accounts, almost half of which will buy more F-15EXs. While electronic warfare, drones, connectivity and airlift all get attention, the F-35 was conspicuously absent from the package, with no explanation given.