MTU Maintenance Canada MTU’s competence center for military engine maintenance, will provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the United States Air Force’s (USAF) F108 engines beginning in the fourth quarter of this year. MTU Maintenance will be partnering with GE Aviation on the five-year contract (one-year base and four one-year option periods), taking responsibility for maintenance, repair and overhaul services.
“We are delighted to have signed this landmark contract,” says Michael Schreyögg, chief program officer, MTU Aero Engines. It follows on from the F138 military engine contract was signed directly with the USAF earlier this year. “With the first F108 engine already in route to our shop and the first F138 that arrived last week, we’re looking forward to continuing the excellent reliability and on-time delivery record we have with USAF and going above and beyond their expectations.”
“Securing solid military volume is a key initiative for us at MTU Maintenance Canada,” says Tracy Osadchuk, head of Military Sales and vice president MRO Programs MTU Maintenance Canada, a facility with over 20 years’ experience in MRO for military engines. “We are honoured to be directly serving USAF once more as well as be partnering with GE Aviation.”
The F108 is the military variant of the CFM56-2 engine and powers the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft. USAF has over 300 of these aircraft and 1,500 plus engines in their fleet. The -2 variant differs only slightly from the CFM56-3, for which MTU Maintenance has been carrying out MRO at its facility in Canada for over 15 years. Further, the MTU Aero Engines Group, of which MTU Maintenance Canada is a North-American affiliate, has 85 years of experience with military engines.