Rolls-Royce lifts off with £194m US defence contract
AERO engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has secured a contract for £194m ($315m) from Pratt & Whitney to supply its LiftSystem® for 17 F-35B Lightning II aircraft.
Rolls-Royce is the only company in the world to produce the advanced technology that enables F-35B aircraft to perform Short Take Off and Vertical Landings (STOVL), and that provides increased mission flexibility.
Neil Mehta, Rolls-Royce LiftSystem Programme Director said: “Rolls-Royce continues to focus on increasing efficiency as we provide this vital capability to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter programme. We anticipate continuous cost improvements as production volumes ramp up to meet the needs of the F-35 programme.”
The LiftSystem comprises a Rolls-Royce LiftFan®, Roll Posts and a three-Bearing Swivel Module. Rolls-Royce is a subcontractor to Pratt & Whitney, which manufactures the F135 engine for the F-35 Lightning II programme.
Under the contract, Rolls-Royce will produce 17 LiftSystems for the fourth lot of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) through 2012, with a further order for the fifth lot expected later in the year. To date, Rolls-Royce has delivered 32 LiftSystems, plus spare parts.
In 2011, the LiftSystem proved successful in the first ship-borne landings on the USS Wasp, as well as completing 268 vertical landings overall. The first three production F-35B aircraft were delivered to Eglin Air Force Base in the US in January to begin training.
