Basic press release

MTU Aero Engines - Military propulsion system experts

Industrial lead company for engines flown by the German Armed Forces
International business driven by exports and a local presence

Munich, June 20, 2011 - MTU Aero Engines is Germany's leading engine manufacturer and a global player in the industry. It develops, manufactures, markets and supports commercial and military aircraft engines. Its product mix of complementary modules spans the entire engine, giving the company full engine competence. In the military arena, the company is the German Armed Forces' major industrial partner for practically all engine types flown by them. MTU provides a full range of services, from maturing enabling technologies through developing and manufacturing engines and engine components, to providing maintenance and comprehensive customer support services. Among the company's current major military engine programs are the TP400-D6 engine to power the A400M military transport, the EJ200 for the Eurofighter, the RB199 for the Tornado and the MTR390 for the French-German Tiger attack-escort helicopter. The company has also stakes in four military engines built by General Electric, the F404, F414, F110 and GE38.

The engine for the A400M

The TP400-D6 to power the four-engine Airbus A400M military transport is the Western world's largest turboprop engine. Rated at 11,000 shaft horsepower, the three-shaft powerplant drives a 5.3-meter diameter propeller. The engine is a joint project of Europe's largest engine manufacturers: besides Germany's MTU Spain's ITP, France's Snecma and the United Kingdom's Rolls-Royce. MTU's development and production stake in the engine is the intermediate-pressure compressor and the intermediate-pressure turbine, plus the engine control unit, which it develops jointly with Snecma. Ludwigsfelde-based MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg boasts the only production test cell to conduct development and acceptance testing of the TP400-D6; it is one of the most advanced test facilities in the world. It is from this location that the propulsion systems are shipped to the customer.

Power for the Eurofighter

The EJ200 powering the Eurofighter is one of the world's most advanced engines in its class. A joint European project, the engine is being developed and built by four companies—MTU, Italy's Avio, Spain's ITP and the United Kingdom's Rolls-Royce—under the roof of the Eurojet engine consortium. The German manufacturer contributes the low-pressure compressor and high-pressure compressor and the electronic engine control unit; in addition, MTU is responsible for assembly and testing of the German engines. In all, MTU's program workshare is 30 percent. The EJ200 has strong export prospects, a first 15-unit Eurofighter Typhoon order having been received from Austria. Saudi Arabia is buying 72 aircraft. India, too, is interested in procuring the aircraft as part of a comprehensive industrial cooperation plan: The Eurofighter/Typhoon has been selected as one of two fighters shortlisted as candidates in the competition to provide the country with new combat aircraft.

Tiger propulsion

The Franco-German Tiger combat helicopter, too, has the first export wins under its belt in Australia, which ordered 22 of the helicopter, and Spain, which ordered 24. The Spanish helicopters will be powered by 14 percent uprated engines, the MTR390-E ‘Enhanced’. These engines are being developed in cooperation with Spain's ITP under the roof of the MTRI GmbH. The consortium is a sister company of MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce GmbH (MTR), which is responsible for the marketing of the MTR390-2C basic engine for the Tiger. Partnering in it are MTU, France's Turbomeca and the United Kingdom's Rolls-Royce. Germany and France will each take 171 of the engine to power the 80 helicopters each of the two countries will operate. Both nations are interested in buying the enhanced engine version and have amended parts of their contracts to order the upgraded engines.

Power for the Tornado

A cooperative effort of MTU, Avio and Rolls-Royce, the RB199 powering the Tornado combat aircraft will remain in the Munich-headquartered company's portfolio for many years to come. MTU's work on the engine, now out of production, focuses on spare parts supply and engineering logistic support. Engine repair services are provided at the company's Erding facility in cooperation with the German Air Force. MTU has succeeded in optimizing the engine's high-pressure compressor, intermediate-pressure compressor, intermediate-pressure turbine and DECU control and monitoring unit to improve engine life and reduce life cycle costs, failure rates and wear.

Another substantial segment of MTU's activities in addition to current programs is the repair of other out-of-production engines. MTU repairs and overhauls the Tyne for the Transall, the RR250-C20 for the PAH1 helicopter and the T64 for the CH-53 helicopter.

Cooperation with the German Air Force

The German Armed Forces and MTU in 2002 adopted a new model of joint industry-military cooperation. Initially, the agreement stipulated the collaboration in the maintenance of the Eurofighter and its equipment. Since that time, MTU Aero Engines in Munich has been providing all of the support services for the EJ200 engine, assuming responsibility for the maintenance effort. This prevents dual capacities, leverages resources to best effect, and saves time and costs. The Air Force remains closely involved in the overall process, thus retaining valuable engine know-how.

Having proved successful, the cooperation was subsequently extended to other engines as well: in mid-November 2005, MTU and the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB) agreed to include in it also the RB199 (Tornado), J79 (Phantom) and RR250-C20 (PAH1 helicopter) engines. The EJ200 is repaired at MTU's Munich facility, the RB199, J79 and RR250-C20 in an MTU shop on the Erding air base. MTU's Erding facility is the first civilian-run repair line inside a German Air Force installation. Also included in the cooperation was the MTR390, which powers the Tiger helicopter and is being maintained in Erding.

Presence on the U.S. military market

MTU has succeeded in entering the U.S. military market, the largest in the world, taking production work shares as a risk-and revenue-sharing partner in GE's F404, F414, F110, and GE38 engine programs. The F414 powers the U.S. Navy's twin-jet F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft. The F404 engine family is one of the most successful in military aviation history with more than 3,800 engines powering several aircraft types worldwide, including the F/A-18A/B/C/D models. The F-15 and F-16 are powered by the F110 engine.

MTU has an 18-percent stake in the GE38 helicopter engine. The German engine builder will be responsible mainly for the power turbine module and moreover have the license for maintenance, final assembly and testing as well as MRO for the GE38 models used in European heavy lift helicopters. The first application of the GE38 is the CH-53K helicopter from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, powered by three engines; more than 200 helicopters are planned to replace the CH-53E SUPER STALLIONTM helicopters. For the first time, MTU acts as a development participant in a U.S. military engine program. In previous U.S. military engine programs, MTU has been involved in manufacturing roles only.

Presence in the Middle East

MTU also engages in the Middle East: It took a stake in Saudi Arabia-based Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC), specialized in the maintenance of aircraft engines. Its major customer is the Royal Saudi Air Force, which has Pratt & Whitney F100 engines powering its Boeing F-15 fighter jets and T56 engines powering its Hercules C-130 transport maintained by MEPC. The company plans to expand its maintenance portfolio to include modules of the Tornado’s RB199 engine and the Eurofighter’s EJ200 engine as well as others.

MTU Aero Engines is Germany’s only independent engine manufacturer and globally orientated. It operates affiliates in Germany—Berlin-Brandenburg and Hannover—, Poland, North America, Malaysia and China. In its fiscal year 2010, it had some 7,900 employees and around 2.7 billion euros in consolidated sales. MTU Maintenance is the world's largest independent provider of commercial engine maintenance services. Technologically an industry leader worldwide, MTU Aero Engines has established leading-edge positions in low-pressure turbine and high-pressure compressor technologies and manufacturing and repair techniques.

Your contacts:

Eckhard Zanger
Tel.: + 49 (0)89 14 89-91 13
Mobile: + 49 (0) 176-1009 6158

Odilo Mühling
Tel.: +49 (0)89 14 89-26 98
Mobile: + 49 (0) 176-1001 7859