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2022-03-01

Honeywell Engine to Power DEFIANT X

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, and Boeing recently announced Honeywell as the engine provider for DEFIANT X. It is the advanced helicopter designed for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition.

With Honeywell providing the HTS7500 turboshaft engine, Team DEFIANT brings its Army Aviation experience to Army air assault while seamlessly integrating with legacy platforms, proven tactics, and existing infrastructure.

The HTS7500 turboshaft engine is the newest model in Honeywell’s family of military engines, including the iconic T55 engine that has powered the H-47 fleet for over 60 years. Like the T55, the HTS7500 is a reliable engine designed to thrive in austere environments and to perform to keep military personnel safer.

The HTS7500 enhances mission readiness and exceeds mission power and fuel consumption requirements. The new engine comes equipped with a modernised control system, enabling a highly secure flow of engine data. In addition, the control system improves operating capabilities, reduces life-cycle costs, and ensures engine health status through its digital thread road map.

“This engine builds upon the battle-proven architecture of the T55, but the HTS7500 takes engine performance, reliability and efficiency to a whole new level,” highlighted Dave Marinick, president, Engines and Power Systems, Honeywell Aerospace. “The engine is structurally similar, which is great for maintainers in the field because they can use current tools and training. However, when it comes to performance, the HTS7500 is 42 per cent more powerful than the T55-GA-714A and has the lowest total weight compared to other engines in its horsepower class.”

“Team DEFIANT’s strength is built on the experience of Sikorsky and Boeing and a commitment to Army Aviation,” said Mark Cherry, vice president and general manager of Boeing Vertical Lift. “Honeywell’s history with Boeing and the U.S. Army makes us even more confident that DEFIANT X is the best fit for the Army’s total mission.”

New Utility Helicopter

The DEFIANT X will reportedly be the fastest, most manoeuvrable assault helicopter in history. It can fly two times faster and farther than the Black Hawk and is currently being tested in a digital combat environment, where it continues to prove its unmatched range and survivability.

FLRAA was initiated by the U.S. Army in 2019 to develop a new utility helicopter that will replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk starting in 2030. The Black Hawk was developed in the 1960s and 1970s and was selected by the U.S. Army in 1976. FLRAA will provide the next generation of capability for decades to come for the U.S. Army. The HTS7500 has been built to provide world-class reliability and time on wing for this next generation of aircraft.

Engines designed by Honeywell have been at the forefront of aircraft propulsion for nearly seven decades, shaping aviation’s progress in civilian and military applications worldwide. The company’s high-performance, high-power engines combine rigorous testing with rugged design, ensuring smoother operation in the harshest environments. In addition, continuous improvement programmes have resulted in engines that provide more power with lower fuel consumption, enhanced safety, and proven reliability.

DEFIANT X is a complete weapon system that builds on the handling qualities and capabilities proven by the team’s technology demonstrator, SB>1 DEFIANT. It flies twice as far and fast as the venerable Black Hawk helicopter it is designed to replace.

DEFIANT X incorporates Sikorsky X2 Technology to operate at high speeds while maintaining low-speed handling qualities. This critical capability provides pilots with increased manoeuvrability and survivability in high-threat air defence environments, allowing them to penetrate enemy defences while reducing exposure to enemy fire.

DEFIANT X’s compound co-axial rotor system and pusher prop allow for a high degree of manoeuvrability in and around the objective, which is also directly linked to survivability.

Together, Sikorsky and Boeing have built more than 90 per cent of the U.S. Army’s current military rotorcraft and have totalled more than 15 million flight hours. They have produced iconic military rotorcraft, including Black Hawk, Chinook, and Apache.

With proven worldwide supply chain partners, DEFIANT X will leverage an established, low-risk manufacturing capability augmented by a proven digital thread and advanced manufacturing processes in use today on the Black Hawk, Combat Rescue Helicopter and CH-53K. Additionally, Sikorsky and Boeing’s joint resources and experience in JADO capabilities make the DEFIANT X team a front runner to deliver a holistic weapons system to the U.S. Army.

Reference Text/Photo: www.lockheedmartin.com

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