Category: Military & Defense

Pratt & Whitney has been awarded a US$437 million contract modification by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) for next generation adaptive propulsion risk reduction for potential air superiority applications. Along with a demand-modulated engine architecture, Pratt & Whitney is also maturing an adaptive technology suite that includes control systems as well as power and thermal management systems to enable enhanced range, persistence, survivability, and maintainability capabilities for advanced weapon systems. In addition to advancing proven fifth-generation engine technology, Pratt & Whitney is leveraging learnings from design and test activities completed as part of the Adaptive Engine Read more

Rolls-Royce engines have been selected by Boeing to power the US Navy’s new MQ-25 Stingray aircraft, which will provide unmanned, carrier-based air-to-air refuelling. The US Navy has awarded the MQ-25A engineering and manufacturing contract to Boeing to provide four aircraft. The MQ-25 is designed to provide the US Navy with a much-needed refuelling capability and extend the range of combat aircraft from carriers. Each MQ-25 aircraft will be powered by a single Rolls-Royce AE 3007N engine, manufactured in Indianapolis, US. The AE 3007N, the latest variant of the Rolls-Royce AE family of engines, will provide more than 10,000 lbs of Read more

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Boeing’s KC-46 tanker program a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), verifying that its refueling and mission avionics systems meet FAA requirements. The milestone marks completion of KC-46 FAA certification. To receive its STC, Boeing’s team completed a series of lab, ground and flight tests, which commenced in 2015. As part of the required flight testing, the team validated the KC-46’s boom and drogue aerial refueling systems met FAA certification criteria. The STC is one of two required FAA airworthiness certifications. Boeing received an Amended Type Certificate for its core 767-2C aircraft configuration in Read more

GKN Aerospace will develop and manufacture two full scale turbines for the Prometheus low-cost re-usable rocket engine demonstrator on liquid oxygen and methane propellants. The turbines will generate power for the methane fuel system, with the first turbine to be delivered at the end of 2019. Manufacturing will take place in cooperation with partners and at GKN Aerospace’s highly automated engine systems centre of excellence in Trollhättan, Sweden. The new state of the art turbine with all its challenging loads – including very high pressure, high speed and high temperatures – incorporates the latest additive manufacturing (AM) technologies with higher Read more

According to Airbus, Europe’s largest plane manufacturer, the company has delivered the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) first A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). The aircraft made its first official public appearance on Saturday September 1, 2018 at the RSAF’s 50th anniversary parade. The new-generation A330 MRTT extends the endurance of the RSAF’s fighter aircraft and ensures the service’s continued capability to provide air-to-air refueling support. It also provides the RSAF with greater cargo and passenger transport capabilities and enhances its ability to contribute to international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and peace support operations. Based on the Read more

Boeing will build the U.S. Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft, the MQ-25 aerial refueler, through an US$805 million contract awarded on August 30. Boeing was awarded the engineering and manufacturing development contract to provide four aircraft. Boeing plans to perform the MQ-25 work in St. Louis. MQ-25 is designed to provide the U.S. Navy with a much-needed refueling capability. According to the U.S. Navy, the MQ-25 Stingray will allow for better use of combat strike fighters by extending the range of deployed Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, and Lockheed Martin F-35C aircraft. MQ-25 will also seamlessly integrate Read more

Leonardo has made effective the contract, signed on March 14, 2018, for the supply of 28 NH90 medium twin-engine multirole military helicopters to the Ministry of Defense of Qatar and has therefore booked the order in its backlog and received the advance payment relating to the contract. Leonardo acts as overall prime contractor with responsibility for the management of the entire programme valued at more than €3 billion to the NHI consortium.

MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce ITP GmbH (known as MTRI), jointly with its partners MTU Aero Engines, Safran Helicopter Engines, Rolls-Royce and ITP Aero, approved AIA Bordeaux (Atelier Industriel de L’Aéronautique de Bordeaux) as the first MTR390-Enhanced MRO shop. At the facility in France, all variants of the MTR390 family of engines, which power the Tiger combat helicopter, will be maintained in the future, especially so the propulsion systems operated by the French Armed Forces. As of now, the first helicopters powered by MTR390-E engines, too, can be repaired and overhauled on site. Back in January this year, MTRI already awarded AIA Read more