Boeing — along with the US Marine Corps, the US Air Force and the US Navy — recently celebrated the transformation of
a 350,000ft
2 facility outside Philadelphia into a modern factory where it will build fuselages for the V-22 (Osprey) tilt-rotor aircraft and modernise the MV-22 fleet for the Marines.
David Koopersmith, general manager of Boeing Vertical Lift, said: “Boeing’s $115 million investment supports US and international demand for the unrivalled capabilities of the V-22.
“We started this project two years ago in a mothballed building.
“Now, it is a ‘state of the art’ manufacturing centre for the only in-service tilt-rotor aircraft in the world.”
“The new factory has been designed to improve safety and productivity, cut operating costs, and reduce Boeing’s environmental impact.
“It will be home to the ‘Common Configuration — Readiness and Modernisation’ (CC-RAM) programme, which “standardises the Marine Corps Osprey fleet by upgrading previously built aircraft to the new Block C configuration”.
The factory will also house fuselage production for the Navy, the Air Force and the Marines, as well as international Osprey customers.
Colonel Matthew Kelly of the US Marine Corps said: “The V-22 readiness programme is our number-one priority.
“The CC-RAM initiative is key to meeting our readiness goals and returning capable and reliable aircraft to Marine units around the world.”