Journal Staff Report
Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque has been selected as the site for test and evaluation work associated with the development of the CV-22, a variation of the vertical-takeoff Osprey aircraft.
According to a news release from the office of Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., the Department of the Navy has awarded a $37.4 million contract to the Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office to provide logistic services in support of the CV-22 Developmental Test and Initial Operational Test and Evaluation program.
Half of the contract will be carried out at Kirtland AFB, while the remainder will be conducted at Edwards AFB in California, the news release said.
The contract is part of an effort to develop a long-range Special Operations CV-22 for the U.S. Special Operations Command.
The Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multi-mission, tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters. The aircraft is being designed to operate as a helicopter for takeoff and landing, converting to a turboprop aircraft in the air.
Domenici also recently announced that the Raytheon Co. plant in San Juan County will take part in a sizable, multi-year Navy contract to produce surface-to-air missiles.
The Farmington plant's share of the contract will amount to $2.35 million, about 1 percent of the total $235.6 million Department of the Navy contract awarded to Raytheon.
The bulk of the work for the Navy will be conducted at Raytheon's facility in Tucson. The company uses those facilities to make the Standard Missile-2 missiles used by the Navy to defend against enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles. They are the Navy's primary surface-to-air fleet defense weapon.
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