Army completes Improved Turbine Engine Program critical design review

The Army has completed a critical design review for the Improved Turbine Engine Program, the service's next-generation helicopter engine.

The review for the General Electric-made designated engine for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, the Army’s No. 1 priority under its future vertical lift modernization effort, and replacement for Black Hawk and Apache fleets was delayed two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Army officials in charge of the effort have maintained the ITEP is still ahead of schedule despite the minor delay.

The CDR was a multimonth process consisting of three phases: the engine control system component CDR was completed on June 5; the software CDR was completed on July 17; and the engine systems CDR was completed on July 24, Army spokesman David Hylton told Inside Defense today in a statement.

The review was first reported by Defense News.

"ITEP CDR was a successful event conducted 100% virtually, while the [Army] and GE made tremendous efforts to keep COVID-19 impacts from delaying the program," Hylton said. "The successful completion of the CDR permits GE to continue the program towards the test readiness review and the next milestone of first engine to test" no later than the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021.