23rd Aug 2005 08:12
23 August 2005 GE ROLLS-ROYCE FIGHTER ENGINE TEAM AWARDED $2.4 BILLION ENGINE DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT Evendale, Ohio - The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team (FET) has been awardeda contract valued at $2.4 billion to develop its F136 engine for the F-35 JointStrike Fighter (JSF) program.The contract, issued by the U.S. government, will be applied towards the SystemDevelopment and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the F136 engine program. This SDDphase will run through September 2013. The F136 Initial Service Release isplanned in 2012 at which time the first F136 production engines will begindeliveries."This SDD contract allows the team to transition the development engine into along-term production program," said Bob Griswold, of GE Transportation andpresident of the Fighter Engine Team. "We have worked hard to make the GERolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team one entity with a common focus on the F136engine's success. We are confident the FET is in position for success as weenter into SDD."The F-35 is a next-generation, multi-role stealth aircraft designed to replacethe AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 Hornet and the United Kingdom's HarrierGR.7 and Sea Harrier, all of which are currently powered by a GE or Rolls-Royceengine. Potential F-35 production for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marines andinternational customers, including the UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, mayreach as many as 5000 to 6000 aircraft over the next 30 years.In addition to full-scale development work, the F136 SDD phase includes theproduction and qualification of 14 engines, seven of which are for ground-test,and six plus one spare for flight-tests. The first F136 engine is expected totest in mid-2008, but earlier risk-reduction tests are due to begin in 2006using one of the Fighter Engine Team's original pre-SDD development engines.The F136 engine is expected to flight test on the F-35 in 2010, with productionengines available in 2012. This occurs during the fourth lot of F-35 aircraftproduction, which is very early in the overall F-35 production program.Tom Hartmann, of Rolls-Royce and Senior Vice President for the Fighter EngineTeam said, "We completed pre-SDD testing on schedule and under budget which isa major achievement, but not unusual for two companies with many decades ofinternational collaborative experience."The FET is actively supporting Lockheed Martin's activities to maximize F-35international industrial participation opportunities. GE and Rolls-Royceprovided a significant number of manufacturing opportunities to theinternational partners of which six were involved in the Phase III pre-SDDperiod and are working to maximize manufacturing, engineering, and sustainmentopportunities for all eight countries during the SDD phase. A substantialnumber of contracts issued, on a single source basis, are due to be announcedin the coming months, and will be awarded on a best value, competitive basis.In addition, key universities based within the partner nations are indiscussion with the FET regarding their involvement in a number of knowledgeprograms."Congratulations to the F136 Fighter Engine Team of General Electric andRolls-Royce for achieving this significant milestone in the JSF F-35 Program,"said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President and General Managerfor the F-35 Program."The Lockheed Martin JSF Team is confident that the Fighter Engine Team will besuccessful in the execution of the F136 System Development and DemonstrationProgram Contract and, ultimately, will provide a highly capable propulsionsystem for future production F-35 aircraft."Offering unrivaled experience in performance based logistics, military enginedepot management, single engine, carrier, Short Take-Off Vertical Landing(STOVL), and stealth aircraft operations, the F136 will be fully and physicallyinterchangeable to power the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The F136 offers asingle engine configuration for all three versions of the aircraft: STOVL forthe U.S. Marine Corps and U.K. Royal Navy, CTOL for the U.S. Air Force, and theCV for the U.S. Navy.With the infusion of best practices and improved technology, the F136 isexpected to exceed requirements for maintainability, affordability, andreliability for all JSF variants, while enhancing the ability of the U.S.services and international partners to cooperate in joint coalition operations.Editor's notesGE Transportation - Aircraft Engines, with responsibility for 60 percent of theF136 program, is developing the core compressor and coupled high-pressure/low-pressure turbine system components, controls and accessories, and theaugmentor. Rolls-Royce, with 40 percent of the F136 program, is responsible forthe front fan, combustor, stages 2 and 3 of the low-pressure turbine, andgearboxes. International participant countries are also contributing to theF136 through involvement in engine development and component manufacturing.For further information, contact:Rick Kennedy [email protected] U.S.: 513.243.3372George McLaren [email protected] U.S.: 317.230.8260Dan Meador [email protected] U.S.: 703.414.5551Nick Britton [email protected] U.K : +44 (0)117 979 5943 ENDROLLS-ROYCE GROUP PLCRelated Shares:
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