Derby-based Rolls-Royce has been awarded a £60 million contract by the US Department of Defense to provide continued support for the F405 (Adour) engines that power the US Navy’s T-45 training aircraft. The follow-on one-year contract will continue the support that it has provided over the past 10 years. 

Paul Craig, Rolls-Royce’s president (defence services), said: “The Adour is an industry leader in low-risk affordable engine performance for military trainer aircraft; it has amassed more than 8.6 million flight-hours across multiple global fleets.”

In addition to powering the T-45 Goshawk and other military aircraft, the Adour engine will also now power the Hawk AJTS aircraft, which is a contender for the US Air Force’s T-X trainer programme.

Under the terms of the agreement, which is administered by the Naval Air Systems Command, Rolls-Royce will provide intermediate depot-level maintenance and related logistics support for more than 200 F405 engines in the US Navy fleet.

This contract includes support for aircraft operating at four main naval air stations: Kingsville, Texas; Meridian, Mississippi; Pensacola, Florida; and Patuxent River, Maryland.