GE Aerospace and the Military University of Technology Sign Collaborative MoU

GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) and the Military University of Technology (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna or WAT) in Warsaw signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further their collaboration. Under the MOU, GE Aerospace and WAT will discuss opportunities to expand engine training and education to the F110-GE-129 engine that powers Boeing’s F-15EX fighter jet and the establishment of an Aircraft Engine Additive Manufacturing Laboratory in WAT.

“As Poland determines its next-generation fighter jets and their engines, GE Aerospace wants to be ready to help train the technicians and military personnel on our advanced F110 engines that power Boeing’s F-15EX fighter jet,” said Scott Keating, Regional VP/GM Sales, Business Development Europe at GE Aerospace. “This MOU agreement with the WAT will ensure our training readiness as well as enable WAT to benefit from GE Aerospace’s deep domain experience with Additive Manufacturing as they work to grow these capabilities in Poland.” 

GE Aerospace and the Military University of Technology (WAT) will explore the possibility of establishing an engine training school for personnel to support the maintenance of the F110-GE-129E engine. Our agreement will contribute to the development of innovative training programs for the F110-GE-129E, and potentially the creation of laboratories and centers where such training could take place. GE Aerospace and WAT are already collaborating on the AH-64E Apache offset program, and under the signed agreement, they intend to expand this partnership. 

"We aim to build on our existing experience in collaborating with the national defense industry, supporting the development of local capabilities in the production of selected components, maintenance, and overhaul of this advanced engine that powers Boeing’s F-15EX fighter jet," said WAT Rector-Commandant Brig. Gen. Prof. Dr. Eng. Przemyslaw Wachulak.

If the agreement is finalized, GE Aerospace will provide course material and training on the F110-GE-129 engine to WAT and work together to develop training curriculum on the engine. The F110-GE-129 engine, which offers the highest thrust at 29,500 pounds, is the only engine that is fully integrated into the F-15EX Eagle II. This engine is in production and flying with the US Air Force’s F-15EX fleet today. 

The F110 engine recently celebrated 40 years of continuous production. With more than 11 million flight hours under its wing and the most thrust in its class, the F110 engine powers the F-15 and F-16 for the U.S. military and 16 allied nations as well as Türkiye’s fifth generation fighter, the Kaan. Over the last four decades, the F110 engine has been improved—with more than 90 percent of the parts being upgraded to further enhance performance, readiness, and lifecycle costs. And when it comes to maintenance, 90 percent can be performed on wing or at an on-site facility, reducing aircraft downtime and survivability.

GE Aerospace and WAT will also discuss the development of an Aircraft Engines Additive Manufacturing Laboratory in WAT. These discussions will focus on equipment and training to develop additive manufacturing capabilities at the university.

Since the 1980s, GE Aerospace has been involved in additive manufacturing research, and in 2012, the company acquired Morris Technologies, a world-leading additive manufacturing company. Today, GE Aerospace has incorporated additively manufactured parts in its commercial and military engines to produce complex parts with greater efficiency, reduced weight, and improved fuel consumption, and Colibrium Additive, a GE Aerospace company, is a leader in providing 3D printers, powders, and services for industrial scale metal additive manufacturing.