Turkey chooses Rolls-Royce, Honeywell for helicopter engines

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

REUTERS photo

The Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company (LHTEC), a 50-50 partnership between U.K.-based Rolls-Royce and U.S.-based Honeywell, has signed an agreement with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to provide military and civilian helicopter engines.

Under the deal, LHTEC will supply CTS800 turboshaft engines for the Turkish Light Utility Helicopter, Honeywell said in a statement on Dec. 11.

“The agreement consists of a five-year development program to integrate and certify the CTS800-4AT engine model on the Turkish Light Utility Helicopter (TLUH) platform ... It is expected to result in a production program that will provide helicopters to the local Turkish military and civil market, as well as globally,” the statement said.

It added that LHTEC plans to industrialize production and maintenance of the engine in Turkey, boosting the Turkish aerospace market by providing local opportunities for manufacturing and depot repair.

“This deal will deliver a wealth of employment and industrial benefits to the Turkish aerospace industry,” said LHTEC president Daryl Mastin. 

“LHTEC is committed to working with local Turkish companies to manufacture the CTS800 engine as well as establish a local depot with maintenance and repair capabilities to support these future fleets,” Mastin added.

The CTS800 family of engines ranges from 1,360 to 1,700 shaft horse power (shp), with the CTS800-4N equipped with a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) that reduces pilot workload and facilitates the engine’s on-condition maintenance program.

The company also said the development program delivers a number of technical and commercial advantages.
“For delivery in 2020, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) will design a 5-ton, twin-engine utility helicopter equipped with the CTS800, the same engine model that powers the T129 ATAK helicopters currently in use by the Turkish Land Forces,” it said.

According to Honeywell, the helicopter program that was launched by the Undersecretary for the Defense Industry in September 2013, brings potential for Turkish suppliers to provide manufacturing and support for both the production program and engine development.

“By working directly with local vendors, the CTS800 global support network will help create further job opportunities that match local skills with domestic work demand,” Mastin said.

“The synergy between the ATAK and TLUH fleets will allow greater efficiency in logistics, maintenance and familiarity for engineers, with a streamlined support network compared with other engines on the market,” he added.

“We have been working with Turkish companies over the last six years like Aselsan and TAI, and they have advanced very recently,” Carey A. Smith, the president of the defense and space strategic business unit of Honeywell Aerospace told Anadolu Agency. “We definitely see Turkey as a hub from which to extend in the region.”