South Korea is securing 41 T55-GA-714A Honeywell engines to support the country’s acquisition of new Boeing CH-47F helicopters to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force’s older CH-47D aircraft, Honeywell said Monday.
The U.S. Army Foreign Military Sales office is managing the order and supply of the T55 engines designed for powering heavy-lift helicopters. The purchase of Chinook helicopters, which Boeing announced in July, calls for the delivery of 18 CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters by 2026.
The T55 powers more than 1,000 CH-47 military and civilian aircraft worldwide, Honeywell noted. The T55-GA-714A for installation in the Korean Chinooks are the latest engine configuration, with nearly 5,000 shaft horsepower, enabling aircraft speed of up to 170 knots.
“The latest contract to supply 41 T55 engines is a testament to South Korea’s confidence in our battle-proven engines. To date, our T55 engines have logged some 12 million hours of operation on the Boeing CH-47 and MH-47 Chinook helicopters,” Dave Marinick, Engines and Power Systems president at Honeywell Aerospace, said in a statement.