Japan's plan to buy 17 V-22 Osprey aircraft moves forward

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Japan's plan to buy V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co (NYSE: BA - news) and Textron Inc (NYSE: TXT - news) 's Bell Helicopter unit moved forward this week with a formal notification to the U.S. Congress about the $3 billion deal.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which oversees foreign arms sales, notified lawmakers late Tuesday that the State Department has approved Japan's plan to buy 17 V-22 aircraft, or Ospreys, 40 engines built by Britain's Rolls Royce Holdings Plc and associated equipment.

The Bell-Boeing team said it would continue to work with the U.S. government to facilitate the sale, but referred questions about the timing of the deal to the U.S. Navy.

The DSCA said the proposed sale would help Japan modernize its transport fleet and enhance its ability to carry out humanitarian and disaster relief missions, and support amphibious operations.

U.S. lawmakers have 30 days to block the sale although no such action is expected in this case.

The plan was first unveiled in November. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)