Modernisations C-130 H & B

ST Aerospace

Singapore, 21 September 2010 – ST Aerospace today announced the redelivery of the first of 10 modernised C130 Hercules transport aircraft to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). This C130 aircraft is now equipped with a modernised avionics suite that significantly improves the operational readiness, despatch reliability and operational efficiency of the aircraft.

The new avionics suite is Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) compliant, and it enables the aircraft to navigate safely, efficiently and accurately through CNS/ATM-regulated airspace worldwide, reducing the aircraft’s response time in emergency humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

The modernisation programme also includes an indigenously-designed digital glass cockpit, featuring ergonomic man-machine interfaces that take into consideration the RSAF crew anthropology and human factors efficacy, resulting in reduced crew workload and operational fatigue.

In addition, the first redelivered C130B is upgraded with an Auxiliary Power Unit and Environmental Control System (APU / ECS) to provide commonality with the C130H.
With an improved air conditioning system and electrical power redundancy, this C130B aircraft will be on par with RSAF’s younger fleet of C130H aircraft in terms of mission availability.

From this modernisation programme, the RSAF will benefit through improved operational efficiency and lower maintenance requirements, while considerably improving RSAF’s overall aircraft and mission availability. Due to fleet standardisation through parts commonality, the RSAF will see improved maintainability and supportability as common parts facilitate interchangeability and repair during maintenance.

The developmental phase of the programme from design to the aircraft’s maiden flight took approximately two and a half years, a significant achievement for a modification of this scale. ST Aerospace’s ability to offer this innovative solution and complete the prototype aircraft modernisation within the contractual schedule is a further testament to its engineering expertise.

“We are pleased with the successful redelivery of the first C130 aircraft to the RSAF. With the modernisation, the C130 aircraft is expected to have a higher component reliability which equates to lower maintenance costs and more importantly, lower aircraft downtime. The quick progress we have made with this modernisation programme will not have happened without the commitment and hard work of our engineers, technicians, Defence Science & Technology Agency and strong support from the RSAF team. This redelivery also serves as a testament of our engineering design and innovative solutions, and we will continue to develop solutions to meet market and customers’ demands.” CHANG Cheow Teck, President, ST Aerospace

In March 2007, ST Aerospace announced it was awarded a contract from RSAF to modernise and standardise its fleet of 10 C130 transport aircraft. The contract is scheduled to be stretched over seven years, and involves the modernisation of the C130's avionic systems to meet evolving GATM requirements. The modernisation programme is expected to extend the service life of the aircraft by another 20 years. Work on the second and third C130 aircraft has commenced and is currently at the modification phase. Both aircraft are expected to complete ground testing by this year.

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed a memorandum of agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp. to provide performance improvements, including better fuel efficiency, to the T56 family of engines. The agreement builds on a partnership of over 50 years and demonstrates long-term commitments from both companies to enhance safety, economy, reliability and performance of Lockheed Martin aircraft.

Rolls-Royce has introduced technologies proven in its other business units ....

......for the Series 3.5 engine enhancement kit to give improved fuel efficiency, increased turbine life, and better engine performance for hot day and high-altitude operations. The redesign has demonstrated up to 9 per cent savings in specific fuel consumption during recent engine testing.

The Series 3.5 engine enhancement kit is designed for retrofit into T56 turboprop engines powering military applications, such as the C-130H military transporter and the P-3 military maritime patrol aircraft, and the commercial L-100 variant.

It utilises technologies already in operation with Rolls-Royce powered commercial and military aircraft, such as new turbine blade materials in the AE engine family, as well as the blade coating process used in the 501-K gas generator in our energy business. The Series 3.5 engine enhancement upgrade can be accomplished as part of a traditional engine overhaul, and does not require any aircraft or engine control system interface modifications.

Patricia O’Connell, Rolls-Royce, President - Defence Customer Business, stated: “As operators continue to look for ways to extend the service life of their C-130, P-3 and L-100 aircraft, the Series 3.5 engine enhancement kit will offer them significant performance enhancements to enable more efficient operations for decades to come.”

Jim Grant, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Business Development for Air Mobility and Special Operations Forces, stated: “We are dedicated to supporting our legacy C-130 and P-3 aircraft that continue to provide outstanding service to the armed forces of the United States and its allies. This level of service is accomplished through long standing collaborations, such as we have with Rolls-Royce.”

National Harbor, US – Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, and the US Air Force are conducting flight tests for an enhancement for the T56 turboprop engine, which powers the C-130H transport aircraft. The Series 3.5 Engine Enhancement is designed to deliver fuel savings and reliability improvements, resulting in improved life cycle costs.

The first C-130H test aircraft began flying recently at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The Series 3.5 Engine Enhancement has already demonstrated greater than 8 percent fuel burn improvement in ground tests, using proven technologies from other Rolls-Royce commercial and military engines, including new blade and vane materials and advanced turbine airfoil aerodynamic designs. The Series 3.5 will also improve performance in 'hot and high' conditions.

Tom Bell, Rolls-Royce, President, Customer Business – Defense, said, "We look forward to carrying out flight tests to confirm what we have already demonstrated in the test cell – significant savings in fuel costs, improved reliability and performance. Rolls-Royce has invested to help the US Air Force and other operators around the world meet their goal of reducing fuel costs, while also extending the life of the C-130 fleet and potentially saving billions of dollars."

The Series 3.5 Engine Enhancement program is expected to enable the USAF to continue to operate its C-130H fleet until 2040, and a USAF analysis estimated its long-term savings from the Series 3.5 enhancements could reach $2 Billion.

The engine improvements can be accomplished as part of a conventional engine overhaul, and do not require any aircraft or engine control system modifications. Each C-130 aircraft has four Rolls-Royce T56 engines, with approximately 220 C-130H models eligible for upgrades.

The Series 3.5 program will help the Air Force to achieve its goal of reducing consumption of aviation fuel by 10 percent by 2015.

1. Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy.
   
2. As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 4,000 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in more than 80 countries.
   
3. Annual underlying revenue was $18.1 billion* in 2011, of which more than half came from the sale of aftermarket services. The firm and announced order book stood at $96.2 billion* at June 30, 2012, providing visibility of future growth.
   
4. Rolls-Royce employs over 40,000 people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
   
5. In 2011, Rolls-Royce invested $1.4 billion* in research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
   
6. Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centers, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
   
7. The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
   
8. In North America, Rolls-Royce employs more than 9,300 people in 66 locations in 26 states and 7 sites in 6 Canadian provinces. In the United States, Rolls-Royce employs more than 7,700 people in 26 states.
   
9. In the U.S., Rolls-Royce operates 15 manufacturing, assembly or test facilities in 10 states including California, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
   

* Assumed exchange rate: £1.00= $1.60