GE Aerospace has announced the acceptance of two T901-GE-900 engines by the US Army for the Improved Turbine Engine Program’s UH-60 Black Hawk integration and testing. The next-generation rotorcraft engines were unboxed during a ceremony at Sikorsky’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Amy Gowder, GE Aerospace president and CEO (Defence and Systems), said: “This delivery represents the beginning of a new era and a pivotal moment in our ongoing work with the US Army. The T901 engine will ensure warfighters will have the performance, power, and reliability necessary to maintain a significant advantage on the battlefield.”
This latest announcement comes hot on the heels of the first-ever ground run of an aircraft powered by a T901 engine. In April, a T901 engine successfully powered Sikorsky’s Raider X, a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototype, gathering data to support the engine integration into the service’s UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache.
Tom Champion, GE Aerospace’s T901 programme director, said: “Our team is immensely proud to announce the latest T901 deliveries to the US Army. At every stage, these engines have demonstrated a level of performance that will undoubtedly help meet the demands of military missions for decades to come.”
The T901 engine was built on GE Aerospace’s unparalleled experience powering the Black Hawk and Apache for the past four decades with its combat-proven T700 engine, a run that has resulted in more than 100 million flight hours. The T901 was developed in response to a need from the US Army for increased power and reduced fuel consumption. The engine’s design draws from an impressive stack of commercial technologies, including 3-D modelling, the use of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), and 3-D-printed components. The use of CMCs and additive manufacturing enables the engine to produce more power with less weight.
Another notable design feature of the T901 is the engine’s modular design, an aspect that was carried over from the T700. The modular design is one key to the T901’s low-cost, reliability, maintainability, and reduced life-cycle costs. Through the application of this proven modular architecture, the T901 can easily integrate with the US Army’s existing helicopters and sustainment philosophy while exceeding performance requirements.