First two T901 improved engines delivered for UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters
The T901 engine is considered by US Army and the company a critical component of the roadmap to a modernised Black Hawk. (Photo: Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin)
The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is the US Army’s effort to build a 50% more powerful and 25% more fuel-efficient engine for its Black Hawk and Apache fleets.
GE Aerospace has delivered the first T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE) to Sikorsky for installation onto Black Hawk UH-60M helicopters as part of a major modernisation programme for the platform.
The upgrade effort is all the more important with the demise of Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, where the engine had also been proposed for, and a declared intention from the US Army to buy more Black Hawks.
The engine has been designed to increase the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter’s performance, including lift capability and range, providing Army commanders more options for planning and executing missions.
The company stated that “aircraft hardware is already on hand to accept two additional T901 engines for installation into a second Black Hawk test aircraft, which will accelerate the test programme”.
Additionally, the Army’s Utility Helicopters Project Office (UHPO), Aviation Turbine Engines Project Office (ATE PO) and Sikorsky have completed several key programme milestones to prepare for this integration, notably completion of the H-60M Preliminary Design Review and Critical Design Review.
In addition, the company noted that Software Formal Qualification Testing (FQT) for the Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) and is on track to complete the Flight Management System FQT in the next two months.
Receipt and completion has taken place of all aircraft test instrumentation required to support the test programme along with receipt of all aircraft “A-kit” hardware required to install two T901s into the H-60M in preparation to execute ground test and flight test.
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