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| US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter |
International Military - There's something new from the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter to the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter. The United States Army (US) completed the first round of engine testing of the Improved Turbine Engine Program which will power the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter, and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft.
The first engine tested started with the lights off early on March 22 and has now completed more than 100 hours of uptime, the Army said in a July 7, 2022 statement.
The Army selected the ITEP engine, made by General Electric, in February 2019, with the company receiving a $517 million award for making it.
GE beat Advanced Turbine Engine Company, Honeywell team and Pratt & Whitney, after a decade of competitive technology development.
While it was initially believed the timeline could be shorter for getting the ITEP engine through testing and fieldwork, the coronavirus pandemic caused a schedule slip that later affected FARA's competitive prototype effort which required the ITEP engine to fly.
The Army selected Bell and Lockheed Martin to competitively build the FARA prototype with the ITEP engine. Both companies reported that they were close to completing their prototypes and had been using the ITEP 3D-printed engine as a replacement for the original engine until the Army delivered the engine before the first flight.
The Army and industry competitors still hope to reach the first-flight milestone by the end of 2023. The new engine provides 3,000 shaft horsepower, which will buy back lift, and greater fuel efficiency.
It will continue into a multi-year test campaign to achieve full Army qualification, the service said in a statement, to include initial flight rating testing that will begin this fall through 2023. Overall, the engines will clock 5,000 hours of testing to reach engine qualification. full.
Talking about the AH 64 Apache, it is indeed very sophisticated and capable for an attack helicopter class. Moreover, for air-to-ground attack missions, the AH 64 Apache helicopter is the champion.
Quoted by military.com, the AH 64 Apache helicopter has a combination of the best 3 types of ground attack weapons. Starting from the Hydra 70 rocket, the AGM 114 Hellfire to the M230 Chain Gun, the AH 64 Apache helicopter is the mainstay.
Moreover, the support of several advanced radar technologies and optical sensors makes the AH 64 Apache very sophisticated. Therefore, the AH 64 Apache is one of the attack class helicopters that has extraordinary sophistication.