Rolls-Royce is continuing development of the Orpheus powerplant designed by its UK defence unit, as it eyes future demand for engines to equip a new generation of uncrewed air vehicles.
Little detail about the Orpheus programme has been disclosed since the engine maker revealed its existence in July 2022.
At the time, it was described as an example of agile development, having gone from concept to bench tests within 18 months.
But Alex Zino, head of defence business development and future programmes at Rolls-Royce, says work on the Orpheus has not stopped.
“The bench tests are not where it ended: we are still learning from that programme,” he said during an 11 July media briefing.
In addition, the Orpheus is being used to test technologies that could feature on engines being developed for the Global Combat Air Programme for Italy, Japan and the UK.
“Orpheus is our way of experimenting; it also produces a potential small engine family, where we will partner with others to develop that.”
That engine “could fit, or be designed to fit” the collaborative combat aircraft being eyed by multiple nations, he adds.
“What Orpheus does is provide us that family of options around all the effectors and autonomous platforms.”
While noting that the market’s requirements in terms of thrust, capability or cost are not yet clear, as those concepts mature “the Orpheus is very well placed to answer a number of those [requirements]” and can be “scaled and adapted” as needed.
But Orpheus is not Rolls-Royce’s only option for the segment. At June’s ILA Berlin air show it announced a partnership with ITP Aero to develop an engine for ‘loyal wingman’-type aircraft in the 10t class.
This will be based around its Advance2 two-spool core for the business jet market, likely delivering an engine with thrust of around 18,000lb (225kN).
Zino sees the initiative, based around the adaption of existing technology, as a way of “moving things forward with pace”.
“Because when customers are talking about great capabilities, when you starting putting whole new platforms [and] whole new engines together, the time to produce that technology delays the time to market.
“And that is not something many armed forces around the world have the luxury of waiting for right now.”
But he notes the Orpheus is “where we are doing things differently”, driven by different appetites to pace and risk.
Zino declines to specify the power output of the Orpheus but says it is below that of the planned Rolls-Royce/ITP loyal wingman engine, describing it as “more at the lower end of those sort of thrust ranges”.
Additionally, Rolls-Royce has seen its AE 3007N turbofan selected by Boeing to power the MQ-25 Stingray autonomous refueling aircraft it is developing for the US Navy.
Beyond that, Zino even sees a potential comeback opportunity for the Adour engine Rolls-Royce developed with Safran in the late 1960s.
While the 6,000-8,000lb-class engine powers several in-service aircraft, for example the BAE Systems Hawk trainer, it has also previously equipped a pair of uncrewed combat air vehicle demonstrators: the same manufacturer’s Taranis and the Dassault Neuron which flew in the early part of last decade.
“It’s something people showing interest in,” says Zino. “It remains an option.”
