Boeing (www.boeing.com) and Bell Textron Inc (www.bellflight.com) have delivered the first modified MV-22 Osprey to the United States Marine Corps ‘for improved readiness and reliability of the tilt-rotor fleet’.

The Marines have multiple configurations of the MV-22 aircraft in service, but under the Common Configuration-Readiness and Modernisation (CC-RAM) programme, Bell Boeing is reducing the number of configurations by upgrading block ‘B’ aircraft to the current block ‘C’ configuration.

US Marine Corps Colonel Matthew Kelly said: “Our first CC-RAM aircraft returning to Marine Corps Air Station New River was a key programme benchmark.

"We are excited to see the capability, commonality and readiness improvements these CC-RAM aircraft bring to the fleet, as part of the Marine Corps’ V-22 readiness programme.”

As a block ‘B’ configuration, this MV-22 was originally delivered to the fleet in 2005.

In 2018, the aircraft flew from Marine Corps Air Station New River to the Boeing Philadelphia facility for modernisation.

Kristin Houston, vice-president of Boeing tilt-rotor programmes and director of the Bell Boeing V-22 programme, said: “This milestone marks the beginning of an Osprey evolution.

"Through a shared focus on safety and quality, the Bell Boeing team is delivering modernised MV-22 aircraft that are ready to serve our servicemen and women who rely on this essential aviation resource.”

The next CC-RAM delivery is expected early this year.

In November 2019, the US Navy awarded Bell Boeing a contract worth $146 million to upgrade nine additional MV-22 aircraft under the CC-RAM programme, with the work expected to be completed in March 2022.