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.
A new Navy missile could fill a long-range air-to-air need for the U.S. Air Force’s fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighters. The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for munitions posted information on the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile online on Aug. 22, the same day it unveiled the project at the service’s…