R-R targets Asia-Pacific as military market

The Asia-Pacific region is to remain a major military market for engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, with the company looking to upcoming purchases of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and other aircraft as potential sources of revenue.

R-R and General Electric are jointly developing the F136 engine, an alternative to Pratt & Whitney's F135 for the JSF, and this should be available from early next decade. With Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea identified as potential F-35 customers, Asia could be the scene of a bitter competition between the alternatives.

"We will compete with the F135 when the export orders come in," says John Boughton, director for customer business in R-R's defence aerospace division, who describes the Asia-Pacific region as "a huge market" for the F-35. "Going forward, we want more than 50% of the F-35 engine market. We also have early decisions in the UK and the Netherlands, and the USA is still deciding."

Growing demand for maritime patrol aircraft, transports, and utility and attack helicopters means that the company will remain engaged in the region for some time, Boughton said during the LIMA air show in Langkawi. Malaysia is an export customer for the Airbus Military A400M transport, which is powered by the TP400-D6 turboprop engine developed by the Europrop International (EPI) consortium that includes R-R.

Issues with the TP400's development are the principle reason behind a potentially one-year delay to deliveries of the A400M, but Boughton says that with the first flight test engine now delivered, "all the responsibility for this element of the programme is now with Airbus Military". The engine should fly for the first time in early 2008, he says.

Boughton admits it was a challenge for EPI - which also includes ITP, MTU Aero Engines and Snecma - to bring together the "effective and appropriate technology" for the TP400. "At the end of the day, we were late, we were responsible. Now we just need to get the programme on track."

Source: Flight International