U.S. Army awards combat-helicopter engine-design contract to ATEC

The U.S. Army recently said it has awarded a contract to Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC), a collaborative project between Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney, for a  preliminary design review of a new engine for the Army’s Black Hawk and Apache helicopter fleet.

The contract runs for two years, during which ATEC will help design an advanced 3,000 shaft horsepower turbine engine, also known as the HPW3000.

"The HPW3000 underscores our dedication to developing an engine that will support Army aviation superiority over potential adversaries," ATEC President Craig Madden said. "We are very confident in the engine design and in the results we've seen in testing so far. With the extensive improvements in helicopter performance it brings, the HPW3000 will mean greater mission success and safety for U.S. warfighters."

ATEC Programs Vice President Jerry Wheeler said the project is well worth the expense.

"The advantages of the HPW3000 design mean that U.S warfighters can have confidence that the engine will perform as intended and be capable of performing throughout a wider range of operations," Wheeler said. "The American taxpayer can be assured that we are committed to providing the safest, most affordable and capable helicopter engine to the warfighter so that they can accomplish the mission."