Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace building 41 Chinook helicopter engines for South Korean military
“We have a longstanding relationship with South Korea, and we appreciate the opportunity to continue supporting them on their new CH-47F Block I Helicopters with our latest T55-GA-714A engine configuration,” said Dave Marinick, president, Engines and Power Systems, Honeywell Aerospace. “The latest contract to supply 41 T55 engines is a testament to South Korea’s confidence in our battle-proven engines. To date, our T55 engines have logged some 12 million hours of operation on the Boeing CH-47 and MH-47 Chinook helicopters.”
Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) said the latest version of the engine’s nearly 5,000 shaft horsepower allows the helicopters to go up to 170 knots — nearly 200 mph — in all conditions. The engines are the same model that Honeywell contracted a year ago to build for the United Kingdom military.
T55 engines have been in use and evolving since 1961. Honeywell said that more than 1,000 military and civil CH-47 helicopters powered by T55s are in use around the world.
In 2021, Honeywell signed a four-year, $476 million contract for new production and spare T55-GA-714A engines for the helicopters. That indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract means Honeywell is providing the engines for Boeing’s Philadelphia production line, which supplies the Army and foreign partner nations. The contract also provides spares for the Army’s existing Chinook fleet.
Honeywell said it is currently working on development of the next iteration of the T55 engine; the T55-GA-714C model which will increase to 6,000 shaft horsepower and consume 8% less fuel.
Financial details for the South Korean T55 engine deal were not disclosed. The United States closed a $1.5 billion sale of 18 CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters and other equipment to South Korea in late 2022, according to the Defense Post.
Honeywell is one of Arizona’s largest employers, with more than 8,600 employees in the Grand Canyon State, according to the latest Phoenix Business Journal data.