Pratt & Whitney has signed a $5.5 billion modification to the previously awarded F117 Engine Sustainment Support contract with the United States Air Force (USAF). The contract provides engine services for C-17 Globemaster III operated by the USAF, and eight international partners.
The sustainment work will be provided between now and the second half of 2027 and will be conducted at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma as well as facilities in San Francisco and Columbus, Georgia.
The modification further supports U.S. Air Force readiness, affordability and sustainability objectives.
Besides, this also includes an engine performance improvement package that will eliminate more than 20 shop visits per year thanks to extended time on wing and save the customer approximately $29 million per year in fuel costs.
The package will improve the F117 engine’s fuel efficiency, saving up to 6.5 million gallons of fuel annually and reducing CO2 emissions by up to 140 million pounds per year.
This latest upgrade, which is part of the sustainment support contract modification, involves technologies that have been demonstrated, incorporated and are operational in other engine models.
The upgraded hardware will be incorporated during routine planned engine maintenance upon the completion of all engineering changes, Service Bulletin publication and all parts being industrialized.
Notably, Pratt & Whitney has partnered with the Air Force for over 30 years in the development, production and sustainment of the F117 engine, the exclusive powerplant for the Globemaster III transport aircraft.
Pratt & Whitney’s F117 engines have accumulated more than 17 million flight hours in support of military and humanitarian missions around the globe, be it airlift missions or overnight combat airdrops in unsecured locations.
Further, certified at 40,440 pounds of thrust, the F117 engine has undergone continuous product improvements enabling it to surpass established goals for time on-wing, in-flight shutdowns and reduced turnaround time.
Source and Image Courtesy: https://www.prattwhitney.com/en/newsroom/news/2023/07/12/rtxs-pratt-whitney-signs-modification-for-f117-engine-sustainment-support-cont
