Navy awards GE $366M for T-64 engine repair

Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has awarded General Electric Aviation a potential five-year, $366.2 million contract to repair components of the T-64 engine for heavy-lift helicopters.

GE Aviation will repair 18 head-of-family part numbers under the single sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract, the Department of Defense said Wednesday.

Work will performed in Cherry Point, N.C., and expected to be completed in February 2024.

The Navy's working capital funds will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year, the Pentagon said.

Last December, General Electric Aviation was awarded $157.7 million for support of the T64.

The engines are built for rotary- and fixed-wing platforms, including the CH-53 Super Stallion and MH-53E Sea Dragon, which are manufactured by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.

Versions of the Stallion have been used for more than 50 years, including during the Vietnam War for the Navy and Marine Corps.

The Super Stallion is used to transport humanitarian aid, combat troops and medical evacuation. In addition, it can be used for special forces operations as well as combat search and rescue. The helicopter can carry 37 troops, 24 patients plus four attendants or 8,000 pounds of cargo.

The future King Stallion will be the same size as its predecessor, the Super Stallion, but it will be able to externally lift 27,000 pounds.

The MH-53E Sea Dragon is the U.S. Navy's primary aerial mine countermeasures aircraft. It is capable of flying from carriers and other warships with a load of 55 troops or 32,000 founds.