The Air Force has approved a Rolls-Royce engine enhancement package for use on C-130 aircraft, the company announced Monday. The T56 Series 3.5 package was certified based on a projected 7.9 percent reduction in fuel, although “fuel savings have been as high as 13 percent in ground and flight testing,” according to the statement. “The enhancement package also allows T56 engines to operate at significantly lower turbine temperatures, extending parts life and improving reliability by 22 percent.” The Fiscal 2014 budget included $15.7 million to begin introducing the new technology into the fleet. Rolls-Royce spokesman George McLaren said in an email, “the Series 3.5 program would result in $2 Billion in savings and extend the life of the fleet for decades,” if implemented on the T56 engines. “Preliminary discussions with the Air Force are already under way and we would anticipate a contract from the Air Force in 2015,” he added.
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
