Rolls-Royce awarded contract for V-22 engines

Rolls-Royce has signed a $700 million production contract with the US Navy to produce 370 AE 1107C-Liberty engines for the US Marine Corps' MV-22 and the US Air Force's CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.

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

The production agreement includes engines for 148 aircraft plus 74 spares, for deliveries going forward to 2013.

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.

Rolls-Royce produces the AE 1107C-Liberty engines at its manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, US. The AE 1107C engine is part of the "common core" AE engine line produced by Rolls-Royce, and provides more than 6,000 shaft horsepower.

REF XQQAS XQQAR