Lockheed Martin has selected the General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan to re-engine the US Air Force's 126 Lockheed Martin C-5A/B Galaxy transports.
The CF6-80C2L1F, which is rated at 60,000lb (267kN) thrust but will be de-rated to 50,000lb, replaces the 41,000lb-thrust GE TF39 on the four-engined transport. The increased thrust improves take-off and climb performance, and initial cruise altitude.
The CF6 - which is already in USAF service - was chosen over the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 and Rolls-Royce Trent 500 for the USAF's planned $8 billion C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Programme (RERP).
GE will receive a contract for in excess of 500 engines, worth more than $2.6 billion, after the USAF has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for C-5 RERP engineering and manufacturing development, which is expected in November. The engine deal includes contractor logistics support from GE.
The USAF, however, has yet to complete an analysis of alternatives study for its future airlift strategy. Industry observers suggest the re-engining could be limited to the 50 C-5Bs with the procurement of additional Boeing C-17As.
Lockheed Martin says that GE provided the "best value". P&W says: "Incumbency is a difficult advantage to overcome. We will try to find other ways to get the PW4000 into the USAF inventory."
The $600 million RERP contract will lead to a flight test programme with two C-5s. The production programme would begin with retrofit of the C-5Bs.
The RERP is the second phase of C-5 modernisation, intended to keep the transport operational until 2040. An avionics modernisation programme covers installation of digital automatic flight control, new communications and navigation equipment and flat-panel displays by Lockheed Martin.
Source: Flight International
