General Electric (GE) and Rolls-Royce are hoping to reinstate the recently terminated F136 engine program as a company-funded effort, but one with the official backing of the U.S. Defense Department.
"Instead of lobbying for the final 20 percent needed to finish the engine, the GE team has committed to funding the engine for fiscal year '12 on their own dime. I will accept and support their approach," House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., said May 5 in a speech before the Heritage Foundation.
"GE and Rolls Royce are aware of the current stresses on the defense budget and the taxpayer, so I am pleased to announce that instead of being part of the problem they have decided to be part of the solution."
GE spokesman Rick Kennedy said the company had offered to fund its own engine development in exchange for access to the F136 engines that have already been built for the government, and the associated test equipment.
"We're offering to self-fund fiscal year '11 and '12 without any appropriations," Kennedy said.
The company will commit to spend "in excess of $100 million" to fund the remaining developmental work. The engine is about 80 percent through its developmental cycle.
Kennedy said the company hopes to have the F136 compete against Pratt and Whitney's F135 for the Low Rate Initial Production Lots 8 and 9 around 2016 or 2017.
"We're not demanding government funding in [Fiscal Year] '13 and beyond, that's not what we're seeking," Kennedy said.
He said that the engine might even be used for the Air Force's nascent bomber program.
"We're trying to align across any future aircraft program," he said.
Earlier, the House Armed Services Committee inserted language into the defense authorization bill that limits the Defense Department from spending obligated funds for performance improvements to the F-35 "propulsion system" unless the defense secretary "ensures that funds are made available and expended in Fiscal Year 2012 for two options for the F-35 propulsion system."
Staff writer Kate Brannen contributed to this report.
"Instead of lobbying for the final 20 percent needed to finish the engine, the GE team has committed to funding the engine for fiscal year '12 on their own dime. I will accept and support their approach," House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., said May 5 in a speech before the Heritage Foundation.
"GE and Rolls Royce are aware of the current stresses on the defense budget and the taxpayer, so I am pleased to announce that instead of being part of the problem they have decided to be part of the solution."
GE spokesman Rick Kennedy said the company had offered to fund its own engine development in exchange for access to the F136 engines that have already been built for the government, and the associated test equipment.
"We're offering to self-fund fiscal year '11 and '12 without any appropriations," Kennedy said.
The company will commit to spend "in excess of $100 million" to fund the remaining developmental work. The engine is about 80 percent through its developmental cycle.
Kennedy said the company hopes to have the F136 compete against Pratt and Whitney's F135 for the Low Rate Initial Production Lots 8 and 9 around 2016 or 2017.
"We're not demanding government funding in [Fiscal Year] '13 and beyond, that's not what we're seeking," Kennedy said.
He said that the engine might even be used for the Air Force's nascent bomber program.
"We're trying to align across any future aircraft program," he said.
Earlier, the House Armed Services Committee inserted language into the defense authorization bill that limits the Defense Department from spending obligated funds for performance improvements to the F-35 "propulsion system" unless the defense secretary "ensures that funds are made available and expended in Fiscal Year 2012 for two options for the F-35 propulsion system."
Staff writer Kate Brannen contributed to this report.
No comments:
Post a Comment