General Electric has formed an alliance with several US Defense Department (DoD) agencies to improve support of GE military engines.
The agreement with the US Air Force's Materiel Command (AFMC) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), forms part of a DoD drive to improve force readiness. GE says the deal will "focus specifically on leveraging the strengths of AFMC, DLA and GE to improve forecasting, material supply and inventory, and supply chain management for all GE engines in use by US forces around the world".
The agreement is modelled on an existing deal between GE, the US Air Force and DLA signed in 1999 to manage the F110 engine supply chain, which focused on management of the engine's support through the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC) at Tinker AFB.
Pratt & Whitney has opened a special technology coatings site at the OC-ALC as the main element of a support agreement between the USAF and P&W. First products to receive coatings at the site will be heat shields for the Lockheed F-117 fighter while work on the F119 begins in the second quarter of next year.Source: Flight International