• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Pratt & Whitney wins contract to demonstrate advanced engine technologies for unmanned air vehicle applications

Contact:
Pratt & Whitney Public Relations
(860)-565-9600

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., May 27, 2003 – The Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Pratt & Whitney (P&W) a contract to develop and demonstrate a broad range of high value turbine engine technologies that will be vital in creating new U.S. Navy and Air Force unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Under a $12.7 million, 39-month contract, P&W will integrate advanced performance and efficiency technologies into a new technology demonstrator engine configuration based on its PW800 engine core. This configuration is expected to be particularly relevant to the emerging classes of more capable UAVs, due to its high specific thrust within a compact, efficient design.

The work will be performed under the Joint Technology Demonstrator Engine (JTDE) program that is one aspect of the wide-ranging Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) government initiative.

P&W’s work will focus on component technologies such as high temperature lightweight material systems. These, when integrated with other technology enhancements, are expected to double propulsion system capability, a critical issue in developing ever more capable UAVs. The effort will also help improve the performance, readiness and cost of such vehicles as the persistent intelligence/ surveillance/ reconnaissance (ISR) UAVs, and high mach systems such as the Long Range Strike Aircraft.

The demonstrator engine will also serve as one of P&W’s baseline configurations for the government’s Versatile Affordable Advanced Turbine Engine (VAATE) program, which seeks to advance propulsion system technology for future air systems.

"The Navy has a long history of working with Pratt & Whitney to develop and demonstrate advanced propulsion technologies that support Naval aviation," said Charlie Gorton, head of the NAVAIR Propulsion and Power Technology Office. "We look forward to continuing that relationship with the award of this contract, which will demonstrate technologies that can enhance warfighter readiness, safety and performance, and will be applicable to a wide range of current and future aerospace systems."

"This program allows Pratt & Whitney to transition demonstrated technologies to several different product applications," said Kevin Farrell, general manager of Small Military Engines, P&W. "The PW800 core has many potential uses; when combined with our latest demonstrator configuration, it allows us to leverage parallel efforts and provide the customer with a cost-effective approach to cutting-edge technology. As a global enterprise focused on providing the best value to our customers worldwide, Pratt & Whitney is excited about the opportunity for these technologies to be used in legacy, pipeline, and future systems."

Pratt & Whitney military engines are built and supported in facilities located in Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Models include the F119 powering the F/A-22 Raptor; the F135 for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; the F117 for the C-17 Globemaster III; the F100 for F-15 and F-16 fighters; the J52 for the EA-6B Prowler; the TF33 powering AWACS, Joint STARS, B-52, C-141 and KC-135 aircraft; the PT6 for T-6A, C-12, T-34C and UH-1N aircraft; and the JT15 for the T-1A, UC-35A, and the X-47A Pegasus UCAV.

Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) company, is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.

# # #