GE Aerospace Signs Offset Agreement With Polish Ministry Of National Defence

GE Aerospace and the Polish Ministry of National Defence finalised an agreement for offset commitments supporting the anticipated acquisition of 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters powered by GE Aerospace’s T700 engines.

The offset agreement, which involves Military Aviation Works (Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze NR 1 SA or WZL-1) in Dęblin and the Military University of Technology in Warsaw (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna or WAT) in Warsaw, will sustain high-value jobs in Poland and provide new areas of engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) technology, training and technical assistance for the defence industrial base, enabling the Polish industry to support the Polish Armed Forces in the sustainment of the Apache fleet.

Under the agreement, WZL-1 will provide licensed MRO support for the T700/CT7 engines on the Apache as well as the Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk, and Leonardo AW149 and AW101 helicopters that are in the Polish Armed Forces aircraft fleet. WAT will manage training, including T700/CT7 engine training, for Polish technicians, military personnel, and WZL-1 employees who will support the helicopter fleet operating in the Polish Armed Forces as well as preparing future engineering staff for the Polish Armed Forces.

With these partnerships, the Polish Ministry of National Defense will have a full engine depot and engine training capabilities in the country. These capabilities will ensure that the Polish Ministry of National Defense has supply security for all platforms powered by the T700/CT7 engine line. The agreement also paves the way for future partnerships in Poland on GE Aerospace’s combat engines like the F110, F414, and F404, where relationships with the Polish defence industries will be key.

“These collaborations with WZL-1 and WAT will be the key to ensuring Poland has the right capabilities and resources to support Poland’s growing fleet of GE Aerospace’s T700/CT7 engines,” said Rita Flaherty, vice president of global Sales & Business Development at GE Aerospace. “WZL-1 has significant expertise in engine MRO services and WAT is known for its sophisticated military training and producing well-qualified technicians who will work on these engines for decades to come. Both partners perfectly complement the Polish Armed Forces’ requirement for in-country capabilities, and GE Aerospace looks forward to working with these Polish companies as they support the T700/CT7 family of engines.”

Today, the T700/CT7 family of turboshaft and turboprop engines power 15 types of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft with more than 130 customers in more than 50 countries. The T700/CT7 family has surpassed 25,000 engines delivered and more than 130 million total flight hours.

The T700/CT7 engine has a widespread presence throughout Europe and the world. In Europe alone, more than 1,300 T700/CT7 engines have been delivered or are on order for 20 European military and para-military customers, marking the T700/CT7 as the engine of choice for medium-sized helicopter operators and enabling interoperability and collaboration between these customers.

The T700/CT7 design has proven itself in the harshest environments, logging millions of flight hours in hot-harsh combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. The engine family also powers a variety of civil aviation and military applications, including transport, utility and attack, medical evacuation, air rescue, firefighting, special operations, and marine patrol.