Rotorcraft Report: Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney Submit Joint Proposal for Military Turboshaft Engine

PRODUCTS/ENGINES

Pratt & Whitney would marry its expertise in engine-cooling design and materials with Honeywell’s small-engine, high-pressure turbine talent under a joint proposal to develop a new, 3,000-shp helicopter engine for the U.S. Army.

The proposal is under the Army’s Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine research and development program, which seeks a powerplant to succeed the General Electric T700 on the Sikorsky Aircraft H-60 and Boeing AH-64 that significantly reduces specific fuel consumption, boosts power-to-weight ratio and design life, and cuts production, maintenance, and development costs.

Pratt’s part will be played by its small military engine unit in Connecticut, not Pratt & Whitney Canada (as previously reported) to satisfy Army security requirements.

"We are thrilled to team with Honeywell to build the next-generation turboshaft engine for the U.S. Army. We are confident that our collective experience in advanced military engine technology will secure our place as the engine provider of choice for the Army’s Future Force needs," said Tom Farmer, president, Pratt & Whitney Military Engines. The objective of the program is to develop a replacement for the General Electric T700s that power the Sikorsky H-60s and other aircraft. Specifically, the Army is looking for an engine that reduces specific fuel consumption by 25 percent, boosts power-to-weight ratio by 65 percent, increases design life by 20 percent, cuts production and maintenance costs 35 percent, and trims development costs 15 percent.

The Army is expected to indicate this month which team it wants to pursue those goals. GE is competing for the work as well.