FARNBOROUGH, England – July 24, 2024 – GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) has been selected by SNC to contribute to the overhaul and upgrade of the GEnx-2B engines powering the United States Air Force Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) Boeing 747-8. GE Aerospace will support various activities leading up to SAOC aircraft delivery.

“This is a multi-year effort supporting a critical national security asset,” said Amy Gowder, president and CEO of Defense & Systems with GE Aerospace. “The GEnx engine brings proven performance and reliability that will be beneficial to this unique aircraft and we look forward to being part of this important program.”

SNC recently secured the contract from the U.S. Air Force, which is tasked with developing a successor to the current E-4B Nightwatch aircraft fleet powered by GE Aerospace’s CF6 engines.

“The GEnx will serve a crucial role in national security and provide superior performance and reliability required for the U.S. Air Force,” said Brady Hauboldt, vice president of business development – NC3 programs. “We are proud to have GE Aerospace as a key part of Team SAOC.”

With more than 3,000 GEnx engines delivered or on order, the GEnx engine family is the fastest-selling high thrust engine in GE Aerospace history. To date, the GEnx engine has accumulated more than 52 million flights since it entered revenue service in late 2011. The GEnx delivers proven performance for the Boeing 787 and Boeing 747-8 and has a 99.98% dispatch rate, with three times higher time on wing than its competitors.

The GEnx engine combines the latest technology like the low-emission twin-annular combustor with advanced materials such as durable, light-weight composite fan case and fan blades. Compared to GE Aerospace’s CF6 engine, the GEnx engine offers:

Up to 15 percent better fuel efficiency, which translates to 15 percent less CO2,

  • NOx gases emissions as much as 55 percent below today’s regulatory limits and emissions of other regulated gases as much as 90 percent below today’s regulatory limits, and
  • 30 percent lower noise levels.
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