Collins Aerospace receives additional C-130 NP2000 propeller upgrade and support awards from US ANG, US Navy

Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has been awarded a contract by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to support NP2000 propeller upgrades for 24 Lockheed Martin C-130H aircraft for the U.S. Air National Guard (ANG). This is in addition to the 12 NP2000 propeller upgrades Collins Aerospace has already completed, bringing the total number of C-130H ANG upgrades the company has been awarded to 36.

Collins Aerospace was previously awarded a contract to support NP2000 propeller upgrades for 24 Lockheed Martin C/KC-130T aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). Today, the company also announced a new $25 million long-term repair contract with Naval Supply Systems Command to support maintenance of the NP2000’s electronic propeller control system (EPCS).

The total value of the ANG and NAVAIR awards Collins Aerospace has received to date exceeds $300 million.

With its more intelligent and more electric technologies, Collins Aerospace’s NP2000 propeller system will help the ANG and NAVAIR improve operational performance, while reducing maintenance time and cost. With its eight composite blades and digital EPCS, the NP2000 offers the following benefits to operators compared to legacy systems:

• Reduction in vibration and interior noise (approximately 15db sound reduction in the cockpit)
• Thrust increase (approximately 20 percent increase in low-speed acceleration)

Unlike the C-130’s existing system, the NP2000 allows operators to remove and replace individual blades on-wing, without removing the entire propeller system. This enhancement provides critical value to operators by significantly reducing maintenance time and cost, while increasing the aircraft’s availability. As an upgrade for the C-130’s legacy mechanical control system from the 1960s, the EPCS improves speed holding and blade synchronization. These innovations provide greater comfort and safety for the crew as well as valuable fault diagnostics for aircraft maintenance teams.

In addition to the C-130, the NP2000 has been in service on the Northrop Grumman E-2 and C-2 since 2004, and is planned for use on the Lockheed Martin P-3.

“Collins Aerospace’s NP2000 continues to earn orders because it provides operators with a winning combination—increased performance and decreased maintenance,” said Propeller Systems General Manager Jean-Francois Chanut. “We are honored to support the U.S. Air National Guard and the U.S. Navy, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to enhance the operational efficiency of their C-130 fleets.”