| Honeywell is expanding its Phoenix manufacturing operations to include engines powering the planes that the Navy may soon use to train pilots.
The big picture: Honeywell announced yesterday that it will begin manufacturing F124 jet engines at its Phoenix Engines campus if the plane it powers is chosen for a Navy training program.
- The Fortune 500 aerospace company chose the Valley for this project because the engine was originally designed and tested here, per John Turco, general manager for military turbofan engines at Honeywell Aerospace.
- It requires expensive, specialized facilities, which Honeywell already has in Phoenix and San Tan, he told us.
State of play: The engines will be used for Beechcraft M-346N aircraft.
- Honeywell plans to begin producing the engines next year and hopes to produce as many as 500 over 13 years.
Yes, but: F124 production will be dependent on whether the U.S. Navy chooses the Beechcraft for its Undergraduate Jet Training System.
- The Navy is looking for replacements for its T-45 training jets with a combination of aircraft and simulators, and it is looking to acquire up to 216 planes.
- The F124-powered Beechcraft is one of four planes under consideration, with a decision expected next year.
- The engine has other potential uses, including in unmanned aerial vehicles, Honeywell spokesperson Adam Konowe told Axios, but in aerospace “you only build for the orders you have.”
Catch up quick: F124 engines are currently repaired in Phoenix, Turco told Axios.
- From 2012 to 2014, Honeywell manufactured 68 of the engines in Phoenix for the Israeli Air Force to qualify for federal Foreign Military Financing procurement.
Zoom out: The Valley will soon be home to F124 producer Honeywell Aerospace, which is spinning off into an independent company based in Phoenix.
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