Rolls-Royce ink engine agreement

has signed a $700m production contract with the US Naval Air Systems Command to produce 370 AE 1107C-Liberty engines for the marine corps’ MV-22 and the air force’s CV-22 Osprey aircraft.

The five-year contract coincides with the first combat deployment of MV-22 aircraft that took place earlier this month.

The production agreement includes engines for 148 aircraft plus 74 spares, for deliveries going forward to 2013. The engines, which can deliver more than 6,000 shaft horsepower, will be manufactured at Rolls-Royce’s facility in Indianapolis.

Dennis Jarvi, President Defense North America for Rolls-Royce, said: ‘This agreement represents another significant step in the development of this revolutionary aircraft. Rolls-Royce engines will provide the power, speed and range our customer requires to meet their mission.’

The Bell-Boeing aircraft were approved for full-rate production in 2005. The tiltrotor aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter and can fly like an airplane. The twin engine V-22’s fly at twice the speed, with three times the payload and up to five times the range, of conventional helicopters.