First F135 Engine Module Repair Completed Outside of the United States
TAE Aerospace — based in Ipswich, Australia — announced today that it has completed repair of its first Pratt & Whitney F135 engine fan module for the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. This marks the first time depot maintenance has been completed on an F135 engine module outside of the United States.
The Australian company was first assigned the Asia-Pacific Region’s F135 Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) depot responsibility in 2015. Over the last five years, TAE Aerospace has been working closely with Pratt & Whitney, the F-35 Joint Program Office in the U.S., and the Australian Government through the Joint Strike Fighter Division in Canberra, Australia to develop a world-class MRO&U facility, technical workforce and test facility that has the capacity and capability to sustain the F135 engine for the Royal Australian Air Force and other F-35 program participants in the region.
“We congratulate TAE Aerospace for demonstrating the capability to repair and overhaul the F135 fan module,” said O Sung Kwon, Vice President, Pratt & Whitney Military Engines Sustainment Operations. “This represents a significant sustainment milestone for the F135 program and is a testament to the hard work of the joint government and industry team that made it happen. With a worldwide fleet of over 600 F135 engines that is expanding rapidly, we remain focused on standing up an effective global sustainment network that will support the F135 throughout its lifecycle.”
Activity over the last 12 months has ramped up significantly at TAE Aerospace with training commencing in mid-2019 and completion of a new 15,000 sqm Turbine Engine Maintenance Facility (TEMF) in December 2019. The new state of the art facility has been purpose built for the F135 and the other engines – F404, F414 and AGT1500 – that TAE maintains today. The completion of the first F135 fan module signifies that TAE Aerospace is one step closer to achieving Initial Depot Capability and regularly delivering modules to the F-35 Global Support Solution (GSS).
“Completing the fan module is a great milestone and the start of a significant capability here in the Asia-Pacific region. We’re looking forward to working with Pratt & Whitney as part of the GSS to support the F135 engine for the Asia- Pacific’s regional F-35 fleets including those flown by Australia, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. forces within the region,” said Andrew Sanderson, TAE Aerospace CEO.
“The next step is completing qualification on the F135 power module in late 2020 and getting into full production a our new facility,” he said. Pratt & Whitney’s combat-proven F135 – which powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II – is the world’s most advanced fighter engine, delivering more than 40,000 lbs. of thrust and unmatched advances in safety, performance, and reliability. Backed by decades of engineering and development experience, the F135 features 5th Generation power and stealth capabilities as well as advanced prognostics and health management systems – all of which provide the warfighter with a technological advantage.
