TAE Aerospace will support engines for all F-35 operators in the Asia-Pacific region. (Photo: TAE Aerospace)
TAE Aerospace has achieved initial depot capability status to repair Pratt & Whitney F135 engine fan and power modules on all variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, thereby placing F-35 engine maintenance capability in the Asia-Pacific region for the first time.
As an operational F135 engine depot outside of the US, TAE Aerospace will support engines for all F-35 operators in the Asia-Pacific region under the F-35 Global Support System.
Australia has ordered 72 of the F135 engines, according to Shephard Defence Insight.
The latest development also helps meet Australian government goals of establishing sovereign industrial capabilities, said TAE Aerospace CEO Andrew Sanderson.
O Sung Kwon, VP of Pratt & Whitney Military Engines Sustainment Operations, noted that standing up regional (MRO&U) depots ‘is an integral part of the enterprise’s strategy to accelerate capacity growth across the F135 MRO&U network to exceed programme requirements’.
Since 2015, TAE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and the Australian federal government have delivered MRO and upgrade initiatives such as the completion of the first F135 fan module repair (February 2020) and completion of the first F135 power module repair (May 2021) outside the US.
Attributes of the fifth-generation F135 compared with fourth-generation engines include more than 40,000lb of thrust; a 50% increase in thermal management capacity; and a low observable signature enabling the F-35 to conduct operations in modern A2AD environments.
The new ‘Entente Industrielle’ will work on a range of other projects to boost the UK economy and defence industry, including joint development on new high-tech frequency weapons and extended range air-to-air missiles.
The E-7A is one of three aircraft submitted for the South Korean AEW&C II competition, which seeks to acquire four more aircraft of the type for its air force by 2028.
Tensions on the programme have long simmered, with Airbus and Dassault recently clashing over workshare in June ahead of the Paris Air Show. The sixth-generation fighter programme is due to replace Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon jets beginning in 2040.
The trainer aircraft recently completed the second round of extreme weather trials after enduring icy, windy and sunny conditions.
The contract modification, awarded to Boeing, is worth $61.2 million and will support the US Navy’s (USN's) evolution of its P-8 Poseidon aircraft as continued upgrades are made to boost its capabilities and lethality.
The UK Ministry of Defence remains resolute that the Typhoon sits at the heart of the country’s air defence capabilities and is focused on the aircraft’s potential export orders, despite its continued focus on F-35 procurement.
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