Rolls-Royce to open Global Hawk engine service facility

Rolls-Royce is to serve the US Air Force’s Global Hawk UAV engine fleet from a new engine depot facility to be opened at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. The company has been awarded a $49 million contract to establish the new facility, which will begin operations in 2015.

The facility will form part of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex (OC-ALC) - one of the largest units within the US Air Force Materiel Command, and the US Air Force’s centre of excellence for jet propulsion.

The facility will be the first for Rolls-Royce at the site, and will be the company’s first Public-Private Partnership to provide engine services for the US Air Force.

This contract will see the Global Hawk fleet's Rolls-Royce AE 3007H engines supported, with the facility to include new support equipment, tooling, work stations, assembly platforms and modification of an existing test cell. Rolls-Royce will train OC-ALC’s employees to perform engine services and certify the new facility after it is complete, and OC-ALC will be designated an Authorized Military Overhaul Facility for Rolls-Royce AE 3007H engines.

Paul Craig, president defense services, Rolls-Royce, said: ‘We look forward to working with the US Air Force to create a new services facility for Rolls-Royce AE 3007H engines at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. In creating this facility, we will apply our innovative approach to services, delivering the latest advances in support, tooling and design right to the heart of the customer’s operation.

‘This is another example of our customer-focused and innovative services for military operators. We tailor a variety of services to meet the needs of our customers -- how they need them and where they need them.’
 
Kevin O’Connor, vice director, OC-ALC, added: ‘Our complex welcomes this opportunity to partner with an industry leader like Rolls-Royce. This partnership demonstrates once again the relevance and competitiveness of this complex and Tinker Air Force Base in the aerospace maintenance repair and overhaul world. We have a very professional workforce and a demonstrated success of maintaining a variety of engines - we look forward to bringing our competencies to this partnership. We believe this will be the beginning of a great relationship with Rolls-Royce and we look forward to even more partnership opportunities in the future.’