A team led by Lockheed Martin and Embraer has won an $879 million Systems Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract under which the ACS will use the Rolls-Royce AE 3007 M1 engine, based upon the successful AE 3007 engine currently in service in the corporate and regional airline markets.

The initial contract calls for five aircraft to provide an airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability, but has a potential value for the Lockheed Martin-Embraer team of more than $7 billion over the life of the expected 20-year program.

Dennis Jarvi, president of Rolls-Royce Defense North America, said: "We are delighted to join Embraer and Lockheed Martin on this important defense program -- another great example of leveraging our cost effective civil programs into the defense market. This will enable the U.S. Army to benefit from the same operating economics and unmatched flexibility as regional airline operators."

Joe Dunne, Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President AE Business and Embraer Customer Executive, said: "As a partner with Embraer in its hugely successful ERJ 145 program, we are both proud and delighted to be a continuing part of their success in this exciting new application development. This success is a firm testament to the strength of our partnership."

Designed and built by Rolls-Royce, the AE 3007 powers 20 variants of the ERJ regional jet family. It is also the sole powerplant for the Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft and the Cessna Citation X high-speed corporate jet.

The AE 3007 is a member of the common core family of AE engines including the AE 2100 powering the Lockheed Martin C-130J and Lockheed Martin Alenia C-27J, and the AE 1107C-Liberty powering the V-22 Osprey.

Rolls-Royce has delivered more than 2,250 AE 3007 engines to customers since 1995.

Rolls-Royce