General Electric Wins $143 Million to Supply 22 Engines for US Navy’s CH-53 Helicopters

General Electric has won a $143 million contract for the procurement of 22 low-rate initial production Lot 1 and 2 T408-GE-400 turbo-shaft engines for the CH-53K helicopters.

The contract also includes associated engine and programmatic support, logistics support, peculiar support equipment, and spares. Work is expected to be completed in July 2021, US Department of Defense said in a statement Friday.

Three 7,500 shaft horsepower class GE38-1B engines (designated T408-GE-400 by the US Navy) provide the power for the CH-53K King Stallion aircraft, which is scheduled for initial operational capability (IOC) in 2019. The T408 gives the CH-53K helicopter the power to carry a 27,000-pound external load over a mission radius of 110 nautical miles in hot weather conditions, nearly triple the external load carrying capacity of current aircraft.

When compared to its predecessor – the T64 turboshaft engine that powers the SUPER STALLION aircraft – the T408 will provide more than 57 percent more power, 18 percent better specific fuel consumption and 63 percent fewer parts. To date, the T408 has logged more than 6,000 hours of testing, including CH-53K flight tests.