US Army accepts GE Aerospace T901 engines for UH-60 Black Hawk flight testing

The U.S. Army accepted two T901-GE-900 engines for the Improved Turbine Engine Program’s UH-60 Black Hawk integration and testing. The GE Aerospace next-generation rotorcraft engines were unboxed during a ceremony at Sikorsky’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“This delivery represents the beginning of a new era and a pivotal moment in our ongoing work with the U.S. Army,” said Amy Gowder, president and CEO, Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace. “The T901 engine will ensure warfighters will have the performance, power, and reliability necessary to maintain a significant advantage on the battlefield.”

The delivery comes on the heels of the first ever ground run of an aircraft powered by a T901 engine. In April, a T901 engine successfully powered Sikorsky’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototype, Raider X, gathering data to support the engine integration into the service’s UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache.

“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.”

The T901 engine was built on GE Aerospace’s experience powering the Black Hawk and Apache for the past four decades with its combat-proven T700 engine, a run that has resulted in more than 100 million flight hours. The T901 was developed in response to a need from the U.S. Army for increased power and reduced fuel consumption.

The T901 design draws from an impressive stack of commercial technologies, including 3D-modeling, the use of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), and 3D-printed (additive) parts. The use of CMCs and additive manufacturing enables the engine to produce more power with less weight.

Another notable design feature of the T901 is the engine’s modular design, an aspect that was carried over from the T700. The modular design is one key to the T901’s low cost, reliability, maintainability, and reduced life-cycle costs. Through the application of this proven modular architecture, the T901 can easily integrate with the Army’s existing helicopters and sustainment philosophy while exceeding performance requirements.