SSB Issued an RFP for the TF-X Engine Development Project Phase-II
Regarding the RFP, SSB DEMİR shared following information: “Our Request for Proposal (RFP) is different from the classic RFPs. It is actually a study to determine Turkey's domestic engine development capabilities. This RFP aims for potential players in Turkey's national jet engine journey to come together and create a roadmap where all the existing capabilities in Turkey regarding domestic engine production are on the table and create a strategy together. Since Turkey does not have a comprehensive history in this matter, we do not have many experienced engineers and designers. That is why we do not have the luxury of dividing the process into three or four parts, so we must combine our capabilities and work together in a coordinated manner. We have manufacturing capabilities, TEI has demonstrated significant manufacturing capabilities. Further material research and manufacturing techniques are being studied, but the RFP we mentioned is a new step in our national engine development process.”
According to the information I obtained from a source close to the project, the tender aims to find the best offer rather than a competition between companies. First of all, the company that proposes the best offer will be determined, and then the process will be shared between the three companies. When Phase-II studies are completed, a tender will be issued for Phase-III. The project will be implemented in phases. According to the information I have received, TR Motor will submit its bid to the tender together with an engine OEM company. I believe that this company is Ukrainian Ivchenko Progress, the current technical support provider for developing TF-X’s APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) and ATSS (Air Turbine Start System).
I had previously received information from a source close to the TF-X Project that TR Motor and Ivchenko Progress will collaborate on developing a new engine called TF-141 as part of the new generation engine requirement for the TF-X. The Ivchenko Progress representative, whom I had the opportunity to meet during the SAHA Expo 2021 Defence & Aerospace Industry Fair, stated that they proposed the AI-9500 Turbofan Engine based on the AI-322F engine within the scope of the TF-X Engine Development Project. However, a TR Motor representative that I spoke to stated that the proposal for the AI-9500F with a thrust capacity of 9,500kgf (approximately 21,000lbf) is no longer on the agenda and this engine, which was designed 10 years ago, is an old proposal. The AI-9500F was previously proposed as a co-development option for the HAL Tejas Mk1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) during the Aero India 2009 Show, but India chose the F404-GE-IN20 Turbofan Engine from GE. Having procured approximately 45 engines for the first batch of 40 aircraft, HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) signed a US$716 million contract with GE Aviation in August 2021 to supply 99 F404-GE-IN20 Engines for the additional 83 Tejas LCA Aircraft.
As far as I know, TR Motor, which was established on April 20, 2017, by Defence Industry Technologies Inc. (SSTEK) and currently owned by SSTEK and Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ), was originally intended to act as an overseeing body in the process of designing and developing a new generation engine to meet Turkey's military and commercial aircraft engine needs, especially the TF-X Program, and to coordinate the existing capabilities in the sector in line with this goal (for example X company is responsible for the hot section, Y company is responsible for the cold section).
I've been told that the thrust capacity of the new generation national turbofan engine to be developed for the TF-X Aircraft has also been clarified within the scope of Phase-I, where the Conceptual Design studies are carried out. However, this information has not been shared with the public at the moment. The total weight of the engine is estimated at approximately 2 tons. The indigenous turbofan engine, which will be designed according to the requirements of the 5th generation engine, will also have 'supercruise' and 'stealth' features.
Speaking at 'Turkey's Engine Development Roadmap and Sectoral Integration' panel held on Friday, November 12, during SAHA Expo 2021 Defense & Aerospace Industry Fair, TR Motor Technology Development Manager Özhan ÖKSÜZ stated that they are trying to position TR Motor, which has been active for about 3 years, as a company with capabilities in design, integration, and testing and that their team comes from approximately 12-13 different disciplines. ÖKSÜZ said, "We have a young team. There are experienced friends among them, and there are also those who have spent their professional life in foreign OEMs." Noting that they are open to collaboration with all engine OEMs in the world without going beyond the red lines in the roadmap set by the SSB for TR Motor, ÖKSÜZ said, "We are trying to use their facilities, infrastructure, workforce, and existing technologies." ÖKSÜZ summarized the Red Lines as "The product will be ours, there will be no restrictions on the use of the product, and it can be manufactured locally, not only by TR Motor but also by companies in the private sector in Turkey."
ÖKSÜZ continued his speech by sharing information about the TF-X APU Project, "A few months ago, our first project was accepted, and we began our studies. This is the TF-X APU Project. The APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) system is located in the middle of two TF-X engines. It can activate in emergencies, restart the engines by providing them with compressed air, and power the aircraft's systems if necessary. In reality, the APU is a small engine, but it is connected to a generator and can supply compressed air. We cooperated with a foreign company (Ukraine, Ivchenko Progress) in this project, but we laid out all our red lines for the cooperation, plus we became the owner and design authority of the project. We teamed with that company to use its infrastructure, personnel, and experience (for compressors, turbines, etc.) in the project. In defining the engine requirement of the TF-X, we conducted a definition study with a foreign company on what kind of engine is needed for the aircraft. In this Phase, we have successfully taken this collaboration one step further. We are currently working on that project, strengthening our team."
In his statement to CNN Türk on November 10, 2021, Turkish Aerospace President & CEO Temel KOTİL stated that the TF-X is expected to start its engines for the first time on March 18, 2022, its roll-out ceremony will be held in 2023 (Block-0). After 3 years of ground tests, the TF-X is planned to make its maiden flight on March 18, 2025 (Block-0), complete its flight tests between 2025 - 2028, and be delivered to the Turkish Air Force on March 18, 2028 (Block-1). KOTİL also said that indigenous turbofan engines, which will be developed and produced with national capabilities, will be used in the TF-X starting from 2030 (expected to have a maximum thrust capacity of 30,000-35,000lb each).
In his speech to CNN Türk, Temel KOTİL also underlined that the TF-X will have 1.5 times more thrust capacity than the F-35 JSF (single-engine aircraft powered by the F135-PW-100 Turbofan Engine with a 43,000lb maximum thrust). Since the TF-X is a twin-engine aircraft, the thrust power should be 32,250lbs per engine.
I asked if the 2030 plans announced by Temel KOTİL would be possible, and the official close to the project that I spoke with said:"If the SSB launches the TF-X Engine Project, the 2030 schedule may be possible; however, that project has not started yet. There will be a tender soon. The SSB commissioned TR Motor for Phase-I, and Phase-I has been completed. Now there will be a tender for Phase-II, then another tender will be issued for Phase-III."
It is planned to start the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of 5th Generation TF-X Aircraft in 2028 with a production rate of 5-6 units per year and the serial production of 2 units per month (24 units per year) from 2030 onwards (However, will the production rate of the new generation indigenous turbofan engines match the TF-X production rate?) The General Electric (GE) product F110-GE-129E Turbofan Engines are expected to be used in the first prototypes of the TF-X (3 Development Aircraft in Block-0 configuration) and in the Block-1 models to be manufactured under the LRIP and Serial Production Phases. In this context, Turkish Aerospace applied to the US Government for 5 engines in 2019 and 5 engines in 2021 to procure a total of 10 engines in two separate batches.
During the Anatolian Eagle 2021/2 (AE-2021/2) Training Press Day held on June 30, 2021, the Turkish Air Force National Combat Aircraft Program Director Colonel Cihangir YAY (he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on August 30, 2021) made a comprehensive presentation about the TF-X Project. According to the TF-X (Turkish Fighter-X) Program Plan, as part of the "Detailed Design and Qualification Phase," 3 Prototype Aircraft will be produced by the end of 2026 (all in Block-0 configuration), and the production of TF-X Block-1 Aircraft will begin in 2029. Under the "IOC/FOC (Initial Operational Capability and Full Operational Capability) & Serial Production Phase," which will cover the years 2030-2040+, over 10 TF-X Block-1 Aircraft will be produced by the end of 2033, and additional Blocks will be built between 2034-2040 (such as Block-2, Block-3, and Block-4, in other sources Blocks are named as Block-10/20/30/40).
In 2018, Turkey applied for a license from the US Government for the continuation of operational support, maintenance, and overhaul operations, including technical data and defense services, for F110 Turbofan Engines (GE-100/100B/129/129B/129C/129D/129E/132/132A), which can reach a value of US$50 million and above. In his interview with Tolga ÖZBEK on January 21, 2021, the Chairman and CEO of TEI, Prof. Mahmut F. AKŞİT, emphasized that the TF-X Engine will have a thrust of 30,000-35,000lb and underlined that TEI has the capability to manufacture all parts of the F110 Engine and qualify the product after final assembly thanks to its F110 know-how and manufacturing/test infrastructure. AKŞİT said, "We are currently preparing to manufacture the first F110 Engines that will fly in the TF-X. It may not be for the first engines, but it seems like we will manufacture the engines here after the first delivery..."
Within the scope of the F110-GE-100 Turbofan Engine Production Project, which started with manufacturing only 12 parts under General Electric (GE) license, TEI carried out the final assembly and tests of 176 F110-GE-100 Engines in total and delivered them under the Peace Onyx-I (PO-I) Project. Within the scope of Peace Onyx-II Project (FMS/Foreign Military Sales Program), TEI carried out the final assembly and test activities of 95 F110-GE-129 IPE Engines for a total of 80 F-16C/D Block 50 Aircraft ordered in two separate batches (40+40) in March 1992 and delivered the 95th F110-GE-129 IPE Engine in April 1998. Thus, as part of the PO-I and PO-II Programs, TEI carried out the final assembly and tests of 271 engines in total (F110-GE-100 and F110-GE-129 IPE). Within the scope of PO-IV, TEI carried out the assembly and tests of 42 F110-GE-129B engines and completed the deliveries in December 2010. Therefore, TEI carried out manufacturing, final assembly, and test activities of 313 F110-GE-100, F110-GE-129 IPE, and F110-GE-129B Turbofan Engines in total between 1987 and 2010.
An Overview of the Tender Process of the TF-X Engine Development Project
Within the scope of the studies initiated for the procurement of 7 sets of turbofan engines to be used in TF-X prototypes, an RFP was issued by the SSB to EuroJet Turbo GmbH, General Electric (GE), Pratt & Whitney (P&W), RosoboronExport, and Snecma Companies on January 17, 2014, through TUSAŞ. In this context, GE (F414-GE-400 and F110-GE-129), EuroJet (EJ200), and Snecma (M88-4E) submitted their offers to TUSAŞ in late June 2014, while P&W and RosoboronExport did not.
Following the Feasibility Studies carried out under the coordination of the SSB for the development of a new generation engine for the TF-X, the decision was made to initiate a new tender process for the development of an entirely new national engine in cooperation with a foreign engine supplier OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) with intellectual property rights owned by Turkey. Thus, the tender process that started in 2014 was canceled. In this context, in mid-2017, the SSB sent an official letter to the engine manufacturers who submitted bids in the previous tender, stating that the first tender was canceled. Then, a new tender was issued by the SSB in December 2017. While TEI (without GE) and TAEC (Kale Group and Rolls-Royce Joint Venture) submitted bids for the new tender, EuroJet had decided not to participate. In October 2018, TUSAŞ announced that the GE product F110 Turbofan Engine was selected for TF-X prototypes and the first serial production blocks.
Meanwhile, TR Motor, which was established on April 20, 2017, officially started its activities in April 2018 and signed a Framework Agreement with the SSB on November 8, 2018, to develop a new generation national turbofan aircraft engine with 27,000lb thrust capacity for TF-X Aircraft. The interior section of the computer-generated TF-X engine model that was shown at the signing ceremony was quite similar to the F110-GE-132 Turbofan Engine. While the 29,000lb class F110-GE-129 Engine weighs 1,805kg, the 32,000lb class F110-GE-132 Engine weighs 1,837kg. The thrust of the F110-GE-132 Engine can be increased up to 36,000lb with a 10% growth thanks to technological improvements. Therefore, I believe the TF-X Engine to be a 5th generation engine based on the F110 Engine, for which Turkey has manufactured parts and carried out final assembly and testing activities for many years
