Rolls-Royce chosen by U.S. for new B-52 engines in contract worth up to $2.6 bln
British engineering company Rolls-Royce RR.L said it had
been selected to provide engines for the United States Air Force B-52
Stratofortress bombers, in a contract which could be worth up to $2.6 billion.
Rolls-Royce said its F-130 engines, which will be made at
its Indianapolis, Indiana facility, were chosen for the replacement engines for
the bombers, beating incumbent supplier Pratt & Whitney, part of U.S.
company Raytheon RTX.N.
"This is a major win for Rolls-Royce," Craig
McVay, SVP Strategic Campaigns Rolls-Royce Defence, said in a statement on
Monday.
The Pratt engines have powered the famous B-52 aircraft,
which can carry nuclear weapons, since the 1960s but will be retired by 2030.
The aircraft's manufacturer, Boeing, will integrate the new Rolls engines with
the first due for testing by 2025.
Rolls-Royce said its F-130 engine will provide the U.S. with
"vastly greater fuel efficiency" while the U.S. said in its statement
that it would also increase range and cut maintenance costs.
The new engines will allow the bombers to continue missions
into the 2050s.
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