The Kelly Aviation Center, L.P., a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Aircraft & Logistics Centers and GE Transportation, has announced that Rolls-Royce will join the partnership at the KellyUSA industrial park in San Antonio.

"This is an extremely important milestone for Kelly," said Marillyn Hewson, president of Kelly Aviation Center, L.P. "Rolls-Royce is the original equipment manufacturer for several important U.S. military engines. Their involvement in our joint venture enhances both our expertise and our reputation as a military engine center of excellence.

"The addition of Rolls-Royce to the Kelly partnership reaffirms our commitment to support the Department of Defense and our warfighters," Hewson said. "We now have direct involvement of the technical and engineering source for all the engines we support."

Dennis J. Jarvi, President Defense North America for Rolls-Royce, said, "The Rolls-Royce partnership with the Kelly Aviation Center is aimed at providing better technical support for our T56 engines that are used on U.S. military aircraft."

In 1999, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force's Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center jointly won the engine workload contract previously performed at Kelly AFB. Under that contract, the San Antonio facility performs overhaul and maintenance for the TF39 and T56 engines that power the C-5, C-130 airlift and P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.

The Kelly Aviation Center joint venture was formed in July 2002. In 2003, the joint venture began new engine production assembly and test for the F110-GE-132 that powers the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60 aircraft. The facility also assembles and tests new F110-GE-129 engines for GE customers. The F118-GE-101 engines for the U-2 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft are overhauled at Kelly as well.

Earlier this year, the facility received FAA certification to be an official overhaul center for the GE CF6-50 engine. This engine is used to power the Air Force's E-4B National Airborne Operations Center and the KC-10 aerial tanker.

Rolls-Royce operates in four global markets - civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy and is a major industry player in North America. Rolls-Royce supports a wide range of customers, including: civil and military aircraft manufacturers; commercial airlines; corporate and regional operators; public utilities; independent power producers; pipeline operators; and on- and off-shore oil producers, to name a few. Indianapolis is home to the largest Rolls-Royce manufacturing site in North America - and the largest Rolls-Royce site outside the UK, with approximately 4,100 highly skilled professionals who design, develop and manufacture gas turbine engines.

Kelly Aviation Center, L.P., located in San Antonio, Texas, is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin, GE Transportation and Rolls-Royce. Combining OEM expertise with systems integration and support experience, Kelly is a center of excellence for military aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul. Including its on-site subcontractors, the center employs about 1,500 people, and provides services for engines that power the C-5 Galaxy, C-130 Hercules, P-3 Orion, F-16 Fighting Falcon, U-2S Dragon Lady, F-15K Eagle, and the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center.

SOURCE: Kelly Aviation Center, L.P.