The U.S. Army has taken delivery of the first two GE T901-GE-900 engines to be used for integration and testing on the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.
The next-generation engines have been developed under the U.S. Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program, which called for a more powerful replacement for the GE T700 — used to power the Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache for the last four decades.
GE said the T901 offers 50 percent more power and reduced lifecycle costs compared to the T700, with fewer parts and a more simple design. The aim is to improve range, loiter time and fuel consumption, all while reducing maintenance and sustainment costs.
In addition to powering future Black Hawks and Apaches, the T901 had also been chosen as the powerplant for the now-cancelled U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program.
GE delivered the first two T901s to the Army in October. Later that month, the two teams competing for the FARA contract — Sikorsky (with the Raider X) and Bell (with the 360 Invictus) — began installing the engine in their prototypes.
While the sudden cancellation of the FARA program in February meant neither aircraft got the chance to fly with the engines, GE said the Raider X performed a ground run of it in April. This represented the first ever ground run of an aircraft powered by a T901, and GE said the data gathered during the event will support the engine’s integration into the Black Hawk and Apache.
Amy Gowder, president and CEO of Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace, said the latest delivery “represents the beginning of a new era and a pivotal moment in our ongoing work with the U.S. Army.”
“The T901 engine will ensure warfighters will have the performance, power, and reliability necessary to maintain a significant advantage on the battlefield,” she added.
The T901’s design benefits from the use of 3-D modeling, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), and 3D-printed parts. GE said this enables the engine to produce more power with less weight.
“Our team is immensely proud to announce the latest T901 deliveries to the U.S. Army,” said Tom Champion, GE Aerospace’s T901 program director. “At every stage, these engines have demonstrated a level of performance that will undoubtedly help meet the demands of military missions for decades to come.”
