HONEYWELL REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO ADVANCE THE MODERNIZATION OF THE US ARMY
Honeywell is supporting US Army modernization efforts across several helicopter platforms, other programs
At the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) reaffirmed its commitment to helping the U.S. Army modernize its armed forces. Over decades of service, Honeywell has contributed to key U.S. Army modernization programs, including upgrades to the battle-proven T55 engine for Chinook helicopters and Honeywell’s new HTS7500 turboshaft engine for the DEFIANT X®, currently a contender to win the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition.
“Today’s gray zone conflicts and advances in military technology by near-peer adversaries require our armed forces to rapidly modernize its capabilities and technologies across all domains of sea, air, land, space and cyber to ensure force readiness against emerging threats,” said Ricky Freeman, president, Defense and Space, Honeywell Aerospace. “The battlefield of the future will not be defined by who has the largest army or even the greatest firepower but rather the ability to employ advanced technologies, speed, range, scale, maneuverability and interoperability across all domains to enable the joint force to achieve overmatch against any near-peer threat.”
“Honeywell has a longstanding relationship with the U.S. Army that spans more than 50 years, and we have a strong understanding of its operational needs,” said Dave Marinick, president, engines and power systems, Honeywell Aerospace. “We are working with the U.S. military and our partners to modernize our armed forces so that their platforms remain relevant for the next generation of warfighters. Additionally, we are confident that the T55 engine, HTS7500 turboshaft, GTCP 36-150 auxiliary power units and other technology will exceed the expectations of the U.S. Army.”
Honeywell is focused on supporting each of the U.S. Army’s six modernization priorities. Beyond our work on the T55 and HTS7500 engines, we are also providing the following support:
- Honeywell’s rugged new series of inertial measurement units (IMUs) offers best-in-class accuracy along with the durability to survive high-shock environments of up to 40,000 G-force. These IMUs, which provide motion, position and navigational sensing, can be used for a variety of defense applications by the U.S. Army, including in unmanned aerial vehicles.
- Since the mid-1990s, Honeywell has produced and delivered more than 60,000 embedded global positioning system/inertial navigation systems (EGIs). Designed to provide maximum flexibility, the EGIs are used by the U.S. Army to meet challenging military requirements along with civil interoperability capabilities.
- Honeywell's TALIN, which has over 20,000 units fielded, offers a proven, battle-tested, best-value technology solution for precise, reliable inertial navigation system (INS)/global positioning system (GPS) navigation, pointing and weapons stabilization.
- Honeywell is investing in alternate position, navigation and timing offerings such as Celestial Navigation, Vision Navigation and Magnetic Navigation that can support near-term anti-access/area denial (A2AD) environments. Honeywell stands ready to support the U.S. Army’s needs for navigation beyond the bounds of GPS.
- Honeywell recently provided an update to the U.S. Army with the next-generation APN 209 Radar Altimeter, introducing state-of-the-art capabilities, reducing installation and integration changes, maximizing reuse and reducing sustainment costs.
Early this year, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing selected a variety of Honeywell engine and power systems technology for the DEFIANT X® helicopter. That included Honeywell’s HTS7500 turboshaft engine, its GTCP 36-150 auxiliary power units (APUs) series, and its main engine generator and APU generator for the DEFIANT X®.
The HTS7500 is the newest, most advanced model in Honeywell’s family of military engines, which includes the iconic T55 engine that has powered the CH-47 Chinook fleet for over 60 years.
Honeywell’s APU for the DEFIANT X® is based on the existing, highly successful GTCP 36-150 APU series. The 36-150 APU series operating today delivers compressed air for main engine starting air-conditioning, anti-ice and heating systems. More than 20 proven variations modified for military and commercial aircraft are flying today.
In late 2021, Honeywell reached a significant modernization milestone by completing the first engine to test (FETT) of the next-generation T55 engine as part of its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army for the next-generation T55 engine for Chinook helicopters. CRADA supports U.S. Army modernization efforts and will allow it to evaluate the capabilities of the newest rendition of Honeywell’s battle-proven T55.
With 6,000 horsepower, Honeywell’s upgraded engine is projected to be 23% more powerful and consume 8% less fuel than the current T55, even in demanding operating conditions. New modifications also make the next-generation T55 easier to maintain with lower operating costs, delivering increased readiness for the warfighter.
In 2020, Honeywell won a competitive repair and overhaul contract for T55 engines already in service. In addition, Honeywell completed a new world-class engine repair and overhaul facility in Phoenix, a move that allowed the repair and overhaul work on the T55-GA-714A engine to be fulfilled in the same location as new engine production.
Please visit Honeywell at AUSA’s Annual Meeting, Booth #2603 in Hall B, to learn more about how we’re helping support the U.S. Army and its allies.