StandardAero Inc. (NYSE:SARO) saw its stock trade higher in early hours after an announcement that GE Aerospace has chosen the company to perform build, maintenance and overhaul work on engines for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's New Medium Helicopter fleet.
The agreement specifically covers CT7-2E1 turboshaft engines that will power 23 AW149 helicopters. Those aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between 2030 and 2033. The program encompasses 46 engines plus spares, spare parts and long-term support, and it also contemplates future exports originating from the UK.
StandardAero's Gosport facility has been designated to carry out the engine build, maintenance and overhaul activities for both the UK fleet and engines intended for future export. The site has a long record of depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul work on the T700 and CT7 engine families dating back to 1986.
The award continues a multi-decade working relationship between StandardAero and GE Aerospace and further deepens StandardAero's 85-year association with the UK Ministry of Defence. At Gosport, the company already performs airframe maintenance on the Royal Air Force's Chinook helicopter fleet and offers support for the T700-GE-T701D engines that power the British Army's Apache AH-64E fleet.
"This program reflects a strong partnership with GE Aerospace, built on decades of trusted performance," commented Marc Drobny, President, Military, Helicopter and Energy at StandardAero. "We are honored that GE Aerospace continues to rely on our team to deliver the reliability and readiness our customers expect, and we look forward to bringing that same standard of excellence to the New Medium Helicopter fleet."
The program is expected to sustain skilled jobs at StandardAero's Gosport site, which the company notes has supported the UK Ministry of Defence since 1940. The scope of work - engine builds, depot-level MRO, spare parts provisioning and long-term support - places the Gosport facility at the center of the program's maintenance and logistics footprint.
From a market perspective, the contract award was met positively by investors, reflected in the premarket share gain. Operationally, the agreement assigns a clear maintenance and overhaul role to an established depot that already services related engine types and airframe platforms for UK defence forces.
Summary
GE Aerospace chose StandardAero to provide build, maintenance and overhaul services for CT7-2E1 engines powering 23 AW149 helicopters, with deliveries scheduled 2030-2033. The Gosport site will handle the work, which includes 46 engines plus spares and long-term support, and the program may service future exports from the UK.