Lockheed Martin chooses General Electric's GF6-80E1 engine for the Airbus A330-based LMXT temporary air tanker

The US Air Force wants to buy several dozen aeroplanes before it gets its next-generation tanker. Production will be handled by Lockheed Martin, which has decided on an engine supplier.

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The Lockheed Martin air tanker is called the LMXT. The US Air Force intends to acquire about 75 aircraft within a decade. They will take place between the KC-46 Pegasus and the next-generation tanker, which will appear in the middle of the next decade. By the way, the USAF intends to order 179 KC-46s.

Lockheed Martin officially announced that the LMXT based on the Airbus A330 will be equipped with a power plant from General Electric Aerospace. In particular, we are talking about the engine CF6-80E1, whose efficiency is 15% higher than other solutions of the CF6 family. It has a thrust capacity of almost 32,000 kg. The manufacturer wants to prove that the aerial refueller will be a viable choice for the US Air Force. This was announced Tuesday by Larry Gallogly, Lockheed Martin's chief executive.

Recall that the service originally wanted to purchase 150 LMXT air refuelers. However, in March, U.S. Air Force officials announced that they had cut their procurement plans by about half and accelerated development of the next-generation tanker. Moreover, Secretary Frank Kendall suggested that the service might forego buying the temporary tanker and ramp up purchases of the KC-46.

Work on the LMXT will take place in more than 25 US states. Lockheed Martin said in a press release that the project would create over 3,000 additional jobs in the country.

The CF6 engine family has been proving its reliability for more than 50 years. The first power plant entered service in 1971. Nearly 70 percent of the world's widebody aircraft are powered by CF6 engines. Deliveries for commercial and military aircraft in 25 versions exceed 8,500 units.

Source: Lockheed Martin