Bell Boeing, a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter, a Textron [NYSE: TXT] company, and Boeing [NYSE: BA], was awarded a U.S. Navy contract today for five Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to be delivered to Japan, marking the first sale of the aircraft through the U.S. government’s foreign military sales program.

The contract for the Block C aircraft includes support, training, and equipment. The versatile V-22 tiltrotor will allow Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force greatly enhanced capabilities, while providing an ideal platform for relief efforts in response to natural disasters.

“The Bell Boeing team is honored to have Japan as the first international customer for the V-22 tiltrotor,” said Mitch Snyder, executive vice president of Military Business for Bell Helicopter. “The distinct performance envelope of the V-22 will provide Japan with an ideal solution when the need arises. When assets are required on-target in a location without an airstrip, the self-deployable Osprey provides customers with an unrivaled combination of speed, range, and payload to execute a variety of missions.”

The V-22 is currently in service with the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. This year, the United States Navy announced their decision to procure 44 V-22 aircraft.

“This is an important day for the Bell Boeing team in Japan and for the U.S.-Japan Alliance,” said Shelley Lavender, president of Boeing Military Aircraft. “The V-22 redefines what’s operationally possible for a country, and we’re looking forward to delivering this capability to Japan as we continue our enduring partnership there.”

The Osprey’s mission capabilities include troop transport, disaster relief, personnel recovery, medical evacuation, logistics support, and executive transport.

Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell’s global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit www.textron.com.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Defense, Space & Security is a $31 billion business with 53,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

The official DoD contract reads as follows:-

Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $332,468,665 modification to the previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm target multiyear contract N00019-12-C-2001. This modification provides for the manufacture and delivery of five MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft pursuant to the variation in quantity clause in support of the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (24.6 percent); Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (19.2 percent); Amarillo, Texas (10.4 percent); Dallas, Texas (4.3 percent); East Aurora, New York (2.5 percent); Park City, Utah (1.7 percent); El Segundo, California (1.3 percent); Endicott, New York (1 percent); Ontario, Canada (0.9 percent); Tempe, Arizona (0.8 percent); Corinth, Texas (0.8 percent); Rome, New York (0.7 percent); Torrance, California (0.7 percent); Luton, United Kingdom (0.6 percent); Los Angeles, California (0.6 percent); Cobham, United Kingdom (0.6 percent); Irvine, California (0.6 percent); San Diego, California (0.5 percent); Yakima, Washington (0.5 percent); Brea, California (0.5 percent); Rockmart, Georgia (0.5 percent); Albuquerque, New Mexico (0.4 percent); Whitehall, Michigan (0.4 percent); Wolverhampton, United Kingdom (0.4 percent); Tucson, Arizona (0.4 percent); Erie, Pennsylvania (0.3 percent); Vergennes, Vermont (0.3 percent); Kilgore, Texas (0.3 percent); Shelby, North Carolina (0.3 percent); Avon, Ohio (0.2 percent); Santa Clarita, California (0.2 percent); Garden City, New York (0.2 percent); El Cajon, California (0.2 percent); Sylmar, California (0.2 percent); Westbury, New York (0.1 percent); and various other locations inside and outside the U.S. (22.8 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2018. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $332,468,665 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.