US Army Receives GE T901 Engines for Black Hawk Trials
The US Army has received two T901 engines from General Electric (GE) Aerospace for integration and testing aboard the force’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
The engines were delivered to Sikorsky’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, as part of the country’s Improved Turbine Engine Program, an initiative to develop a more durable, fuel-efficient engine for the army’s Black Hawk and Apache aircraft.
Their Installation and instrumentation for Black Hawk ground test runs will begin in fiscal year 2025.
GE’s new power source incorporates 3D-modeling, a ceramic matrix composite, and 3D-printed technologies to produce more power with reduced weight to improve the fleet’s reliability and performance.
Its delivery comes after a successful ground test on a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft prototype in April.
The T901 Engine
GE’s T901 engine was chosen as the helicopters’ new engine in 2019 after beating out the T900 model from competitor the Advanced Turbine Engine Company.
A total of $517 million was awarded to GE for further development and manufacture of the capability.
It completed its initial 100-hour trial with the US Army in 2022, having validated performance models set up by the force’s Aviation Turbine Engines team.
