combat aircraft

low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the

new powerplant in 2024. It will initially

be integrated with the HH/UH-60M and

the AH-64E.

Ultimately, the army plans to procure

more than 6,000 new engines that will

replace the T700s on as many as 2,135

UH-60s and 690 AH-64s beginning in

2025. The ITEP engine will also power the
      army’s Future Vertical Lift (Capability Set

1. scout/light attack helicopter, which
   is now referred to as the Future Attack
   Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA).

WHAT THE

MANUFACTURERS SAY

Advanced Turbine

Engine Company (ATEC)

Craig Madden, president of ATEC,

says, ‘We believe that the HPW3000

[the basis of the T900-HPW-900] is

the best solution for army helicopter

 eets and American war ghters, as

the improved engine performance

will enhance mission capabilities,

save lives and would save the army $1

billion per year.’

GE Aviation

Tony Mathis, vice president and

general manager of GE Aviation’s

Military Systems Organization, told

Combat Aircraft, ‘What the army

loves most about the T700 is its

simplicity, its ease of maintenance,

and the ability to  x it in the  eld,

and that’s driven by modularity and

the simplicity of the design. Soldiers

can  x it in the  eld, in the desert,

wherever they are. It’s modular.

You just pull the module instead of

shipping the whole engine back. You

put a new module on, you put it back

in the helicopter.’

WHAT THE

MANUFACTURERS SAY

Advanced Turbine

Engine Company (ATEC)

Craig Madden, president of ATEC,

says, ‘We believe that the HPW3000

[the basis of the T900-HPW-900] is

the best solution for army helicopter

 eets and American war ghters, as

the improved engine performance

will enhance mission capabilities,

save lives and would save the army $1

billion per year.’

from 60 to

139 minutes.

Design

philosophy

On a single-spool core, all

rotating components in the compressor

and the gas generator turbine are on

a single shaft and rotate at the same

speed. The dual-spool core divides the

compressor into two independently

spinning rotors that are powered by

separate gas generator turbines on

concentric shafts that can rotate at

di erent speeds for engine optimization.

Whereas single-spool engines are

generally lighter, less complicated, and

easier to repair in forward areas, the

dual-spool design reportedly gives greater

dependability and fuel e ciency. The

latter design is, however, inherently more

complex, which can make it more di cult

to repair in the  eld. The army completed

preliminary design reviews (PDR) for the

two engines earlier this year.

Production plans

Under current plans, the army will award

a single contract for the 66-month EMD

phase during the  rst quarter of 2019. A

critical design review will follow in 2021

with ground and  ight-testing beginning

in 2021. The EMD phase includes the

production of 10 engines with an option

for another 20. The service hopes to begin

maintainability, reduced life-cycle costs

and improved war ghter readiness,’

according to GE. The modular design of

the T901-GE-900 is based on the GE3000

and features a single-spool architecture

that minimizes complexity, reduces weight

and maintenance costs, and increases

reliability but o ers signi cant thrust

growth. The design makes use of ceramic

matrix composite components, which

are lighter and more durable than metal

and can withstand higher temperatures.

It features improved erosion prevention

techniques, a ruggedized compressor and

an advanced inlet particle separator.

GE Aviation estimates that a UH-60

equipped with T900 engines will have a

range of 141nm (261km) when carrying

nine troops, an increase of 161 per

cent over a T700-powered model. The

helicopter’s payload would see a 150 per

cent increase from 2,371lb (1,075kg) to

5,916lb (2,683kg). The Apache’s range

with 46 minutes on station would increase

by 115 per cent from 54nm (100km) to

116nm (215km), but time on station at

54nm (100km) would jump 133 per cent

Top: Replacing

the T700 on both

Black Hawks

and Apaches

will increase

performance and

reduce through-

life costs.

US Army/Sgt

Steven Galimore

Above: An artist’s

rendition of

the ATEC T900

engine, which

features a dual-

spool core design

that includes

low- and high-

pressure spools.

ATEC

Left: The GE

proposal is the

T901 engine,

which has

single-spool

architecture that

minimizes the

unit’s complexity

and increases

reliability

but offers a

signifi cant thrust

increase. GE

30 November 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

INDUSTRY REPORT // US ARMY IMPROVED TURBINE ENGINE PROGRAM