GE Aerospace has partnered with Arizona-based StandardAero to help build and sustain the CT7-2E1 propulsion systems that will power the UK Armed Forces’ New Medium Helicopter (NHM) fleet.
The collaboration follows the July selection of GE’s CT7 engine by Leonardo to power 23 AW149 multirole airframes it was contracted to deliver to the program, potentially replacing the military’s legacy fleets including the Dauphin, Griffin, Puma, and Twin Huey.
Leonardo received the prime contract to supply its proprietary rotary-wing platforms in March 2026 alongside four simulators, 46 engines, spares, long-term assistance services, and future exports.
Supported by ‘Highly Skilled Workforce’
StandardAero’s scope will be facilitated at its center in Gosport, England, expanding the site’s role in GE’s larger CT7 production network in the UK.
Throughout the initiative, the Gosport hub will support London’s broader effort to build workforce, grow economic growth, and maintain social and environmental benefits through apprenticeships, educational outreach, and further employment initiatives for the NHM program.
“This agreement supports the highly skilled workforce at the StandardAero Gosport site, while supporting the country’s Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy,” said Dame Caroline Dinenage, UK parliamentary member for Gosport.
“It’s a vote of confidence in the men and women here who have supported our armed forces for generations, and in Gosport’s continued role at the heart of the UK’s defence industrial base.”
Continuing Defense Assistance
StandardAero noted that its selection for the NHM program extends the 40-year “enduring trust” of the UK Ministry of Defence in the firm to preserve operability of the British military’s helicopter fleets.
Currently, the American company is tied to airframe developments of the Royal Air Force’s Chinook HCs, and is delivering technical support, logistics, materials, and overhaul for engines fitted into the British Army’s Apache AH-64E systems.
“StandardAero has been a trusted partner to GE Aerospace for decades, and this agreement builds on that strong foundation,” said Paul Ferraro, vice president and general manager at GE Aerospace.
“StandardAero’s deep experience with the T700/CT7 family and its long-standing presence in Gosport make it an ideal partner … to ensure long-term readiness, reliability and responsiveness for the [UK Ministry of Defence].”
