GE/Rolls-Royce alternate JSF engine development to be halted
1 min read
Development of the GE/Rolls-Royce alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35 Lightning II), is to be halted, following the decision by the two companies to end further self-funding at the end of this year.
The US-led F-35 project is described as the world's largest defence programme. The UK is the sole Tier 1 partner in the venture, with the UK government having contributed over $2 billion to it. Rolls-Royce's participation with GE in the alternate engine was an important industrial spin-off.
Following the withdrawal of US government funding support for the alternate engine, the F136, in April this year, Rolls-Royce and GE had decided to push on via self funding to the end of 2012. This latest announcement now means the termination of the project and leaves the estimated $100 billion JSF engine market to Pratt & Whitney and its F135 engine. The benefits of competition have been cited by GE/RR as a $20 billion saving to the US taxpayer, but Pratt & Whitney has challenged that, saying there are no such savings. (Video above gives the GE/RR view - Pratt & Whitney F135 video chanel.)
Said Dan McCormick, president of the GE/Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team (FET), on 2 December: "GE and Rolls-Royce are proud of our technology advancements and accomplishments on the F136. However, difficult circumstances are converging that impact the potential benefit of an F136 self-funded development effort."
The alternate engine has been under development for 15 years and is some 80% complete, with six F136 development engines having accumulated more than 1,200 hours of testing since early 2009, the FET?says.
Rolls-Royce is responsible for 40% of the F136, including the front fan, combustor, stages 2 and 3 of the low-pressure turbine, and gearboxes. Blades for the engine are made at Rolls-Royce's Barnoldswick plant, for example. There's also international participation via engine development and component manufacturing.
However, rather than the 6,000 F-35s predicted, a figure nearer to 2,000 now looks more likely, according to expert sources - the UK is one of the countries having reduced its purchase plans.
Previously the benefit to the UK for a build of 3,173 planes had been stated, by www.express.co.uk, as £30 billion, if a 15% workshare were maintained, while 20,000 direct and indirect UK jobs were linked to the programme as a whole.
