Ramon Lopez/MELBOURNE, FLORIDA
Northrop Grumman and the US Air Force plan to replace the ageing powerplants of the E-8C Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft with modern leased engines from 2002.
USAF deputy system programme director Ron Mason says Congress has designated Joint STARS "a pilot programme for an engine lease arrangement". Northrop Grumman is conducting a best-value competition among the potential engine vendors on behalf of the USAF. A contract will be awarded to the company to integrate and test the selected engine on the platform.
Northrop Grumman Joint STARS programme manager Bud Boudreaux says replacing the Pratt & Whitney JT3Ds with modern turbofans will allow the E-8C- based on a Boeing 707 airframe - to operate at 42,000ft (12,800m), significantly higher than today.
Northrop Grumman and the USAF will establish the performance requirements and operating leasing strategy for the re-engining effort. A pre-bidding competition is set for 9 March with CFM International, Rolls-Royce and P&W expected to attend.
Boudreaux says candidates offering 21,000lb thrust (93kN) powerplants include the CFM56, R-R BR700 and P&W JT8D-200.
Project officials expect the USAF to approve the engine lease strategy in May, allowing the release of a request for quotations to engine vendors a month later. Engine makers will have only two months to respond as a selection is expected in late September.
Although a twin-engine installation is possible, Boudreaux thinks retaining four engines is more likely. He says the engine selection will affect the installation time, which could take as little as four days or up to two years if the wings need replacing. "We're pioneering here, so we're asking the engine vendors to get creative. We want to see if the engine guys - who do commercial leases every day - have a way of doing it better," he adds.
Previous E-8 re-engining proposals include a recommendation from Northrop Grumman, offering P&WTF33s (military JT8Ds) removed from Lockheed C-141s as they are retired. Northrop Grumman signed a deal in September with Seven Q Seven and P&W to offer JT8D re-engining of all US military 707s.
Source: Flight International
