Soldiers scrambling to climb aboard U.S. military helicopters before approaching enemy forces overwhelmed them was a staple scene in those movies. If the helicopters loitered too long, they would run out of fuel before making it back to their base.
Logistical constraints like these are convenient plot devices for war movies.
In the future, screenwriters may have fewer constraints to choose from than they have had in the past – at least when it comes to U.S. military helicopters.
Over the next decade, the U.S. Army plans to deploy new, more powerful engines in its UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache helicopters, allowing them to carry a full squadron of troops twice as far as they do today while burning less fuel.
The U.S. Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program, or ITEP, was established to develop next-generation engines for the Boeing Boeing AH-64 Apache Apache and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, which are currently powered by General Electric's General Electric's T-700s engine.
The T-700 engine, which was originally fielded in the 1970s, can transport a squadron at an altitude of 4,000 feet in temperatures up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Black Hawk helicopters frequently flew at altitudes above 4,000 feet to avoid energy fire. These altitudes reduced engine power and lowered the number of troops each helicopter could to about half of its typical 11-person squad.
The new engines will raise the helicopter’s flight ceiling to an altitude of 6,000 feet in 95 degree weather. In addition, the new engines will expand a Black Hawk’s range and double the number of troops it can carry.
The ITEP’s next-generation engines will produce 65% more shaft horsepower (SHP) than the T-700′s 2,000 SHP at the same weight of 450 pounds. SHP is the power delivered by a gas turbine to the rotors of a helicopter.
The ITEP’s 3,000 SHP engine will also decrease fuel consumption by 25%, expand engine life by 20% and reduce maintenance costs by 35%.
Two companies are currently competing for the ITEP engine contract: General Electric and the Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC), a joint venture between Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney founded in 2006.
General Electric has completed the initial tests for its ITEP engine, the GE-3000, which includes advanced new materials that increase strength without increasing weight.
ATEC has also completed initial tests for its ITEP engine, the HPW-3000, which claims a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency, saving 50 million gallons a year.
The Army, which plans to release a request for proposals for the ITEP engine in early 2014, will ultimately purchase 6,215 ITEP engines.