US Navy T-45 trainer aircraft engine

Rolls-Royce has received a contractor logistics support (CLS) contract from the US Department of Defense (DoD) to provide continued support for the F405 (Adour) engines, which power the US Navy’s T-45 training aircraft.

Under the $100m follow-on, one-year agreement, Rolls-Royce will provide depot-level maintenance and related logistics support for approximately 223 in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines.

Scheduled to be completed in March 2015, work will be carried out at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Mississippi, NAS Kingsville, Texas, NAS Pensacola, Florida, and NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, US.

Rolls-Royce defence services president Paul Craig said: "The Adour is an industry leader in low-risk, affordable engine performance for military-trainer aircraft, and has amassed more than 8.6 million flight hours across multiple global fleets."

"The Adour is an industry leader in low-risk, affordable engine performance for military-trainer aircraft."

In addition to powering the T-45 Goshawk and other military aircraft, the engine will be used on the Hawk AJTS, which is a contender for the US Air Force T-X trainer programme.

The Boeing and BAE Systems-built T-45A/C Goshawk two-seat advanced jet trainer features a single pylon under each wing to carry bomb racks, rocket pods or auxiliary fuel tanks.


Image: Rolls-Royce inspecting an Adour engine from a US Navy T-45 trainer aircraft. Photo: © Rolls-Royce plc.

Defence Technology