Rolls-Royce, Air Force open new Global Hawk engine depot at Tinker AFB

Rolls-Royce this week announced the opening of its RQ-4 Global Hawk engine depot at Tinker Air Force Base, OK, a three-year effort marking the company's first public-private partnership with the Air Force.

In October 2013, the Air Force awarded Rolls-Royce a $49 million contract for the new depot services facility that was expected to open in 2015, Inside the Air Force reported.

Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk uses a Rolls-Royce AE-line engine, which will be repaired and overhauled at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex. Engine maintenance was done at a Canadian Rolls-Royce facility but will transition to Tinker AFB, company spokesman George McLaren wrote in a Nov. 15 email.

“The first F137/AE 3007H engine has completed repair at the depot and will be tested in the near future in a renovated test cell near the F137 depot,” the company said in a Nov. 15 release. “The depot is expected to repair 10-12 engines per year for the Air Force. The AE 3007H engine also powers the U.S. Navy’s Triton aircraft and future repairs for the Navy’s engines may be performed at the Tinker AFB depot as well.”

McLaren wrote Rolls-Royce has had “positive discussions” with the Navy on Triton work but no announcements have been made.

A 2013 Air Force report anticipated “the potential to yield cost reductions in long-term sustainment for multiple programs that utilize the Rolls-Royce family of engines” if the Navy shared the depot for its Triton program, ITAF reported. “Further cost-avoidance opportunities will occur as additional depot repair capabilities are activated for other common systems,” the report added.