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Rolls-Royce Receives $315 Million Contract to Supply LiftSystem Technology

Dépèche transmise le 1 mai 2012 par Business Wire

Rolls-Royce Receives $315 Million Contract to Supply LiftSystem Technology

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has received a contract for $315 Million from Pratt & Whitney to supply the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem® for 17 F-35B Lightning II aircraft.

“Rolls-Royce continues to focus on increasing efficiency as we provide this vital capability to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter programme. We anticipate continuous cost improvements as production volumes ramp up to meet the needs of the F-35 programme.”

Rolls-Royce is the only company in the world to produce the advanced technology that enables F-35B aircraft to perform Short Take Off and Vertical Landings (STOVL), and that provides increased mission flexibility.

Neil Mehta, Rolls-Royce LiftSystem Programme Director said, "Rolls-Royce continues to focus on increasing efficiency as we provide this vital capability to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter programme. We anticipate continuous cost improvements as production volumes ramp up to meet the needs of the F-35 programme.”

The LiftSystem comprises a Rolls-Royce LiftFan®, Roll Posts and a 3-Bearing Swivel Module. Rolls-Royce is a subcontractor to Pratt & Whitney, which manufactures the F135 engine for the F-35 Lightning II programme. Under the contract, Rolls-Royce will produce 17 LiftSystems for the fourth lot of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) through 2012, with a further order for the fifth lot expected later in the year. To date, Rolls-Royce has delivered 32 LiftSystems, plus spare parts.

In 2011, the LiftSystem proved successful in the first ship-borne landings on the USS Wasp, as well as completing 268 vertical landings overall. The first three production F-35B aircraft were delivered to Eglin Air Force Base in the US in January to begin training.

Notes to Editors:

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, defence 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 revenues were $17.9 billion in 2011, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at $98.5 billion at 31 December 2011, providing visibility of future levels of activity.

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 on 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 Centres, 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.