VERIFICATION
Up to 24 More T901 Engines Would Stay on the Development Contract
Verified as of September 27, 2026
Modern Warfighter reviewed the government records and attributed reporting behind each consequential claim in this brief. A Confirmed claim is stated in the cited primary record. A Qualified claim is supported, with its limitation noted beside it.
Verified Claims
Up to 24 additional engines
Confirmed. The Army's August 25 notice proposes adding up to 24 T901 Series (YT Rated) engines to GE's engineering and manufacturing development contract, W58RGZ-19-C-0003.
Record: U.S. Army, August 25 notice
Noncompetitive basis
Confirmed. The notice says the modification would be awarded noncompetitively because the work is available only from GE. The government intends to pursue a limited source justification and approval under FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii).
Record: U.S. Army, August 25 notice
What the notice text does not state
Qualified. The notice text states no price or delivery schedule for the proposed engines. It names no funding source and does not define YT Rated. The notice attachment was not reviewed for these points.
Record: U.S. Army, August 25 notice
Qualification schedule
Confirmed. The Army says full airworthiness qualification will run alongside UH-60M developmental testing. Flight load surveys and further flight testing are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of FY2027, and a formal operational assessment is planned for FY2028.
Record: U.S. Army, August 12, 2026
Black Hawk integration contract
Confirmed. A July 30 contract announcement records a $49,929,599 modification, P00027, to Sikorsky contract W58RGZ-22-C-0063 for integration and qualification of the Improved Turbine Engine on the UH/HH-60M. Work runs in Stratford, Connecticut, through June 30, 2030.
Black Hawk before Apache
Confirmed. GAO places Black Hawk integration and qualification before the start of production, with Apache integration and qualification completed afterward.
Record: GAO-26-108457, p. 110
Production pathway
Confirmed. The August 14 production notice names Middle Tier Acquisition as the intended pathway. Its scope runs from testing through production and installation, including engine integration.
Production support package
Confirmed. The notice's support package covers spares and shipping containers, special tooling and support equipment, interim contractor logistics support, depot maintenance work requirements, field-service representatives and training.
Production period and fielding
Confirmed. The production effort would run 60 months from award, with deliveries beginning no later than 2031 and ending by 2033. Production engines would support First Unit Equipped and First Unit Issued activities.
GE schedule statement
Qualified. GE told Aviation Week on September 4 that airworthiness qualification remained targeted for late 2027 and that preliminary discussions concerned potential procurement in 2028. This verifies GE's statement, not an Army schedule.
Record: Aviation Week, September 4, 2026 (subscription required beyond the opening)
Army 2028 expectation
Qualified. Breaking Defense reported in April that Army senior leaders had told it the previous month they expected Black Hawk qualification to finish in 2028. Modern Warfighter did not obtain the March interview.
Record: Breaking Defense, April 2026
FY2029 production start
Confirmed. GAO says the Army delayed the start of production to FY2029 and places the low-rate production decision in the April to June 2029 quarter.
Record: GAO-26-108457, p. 110
FY2027 request and FY2026 funding
Confirmed. The Army's FY2027 budget justification lists no discretionary RDT&E funding for the Improved Turbine Engine Program in FY2027. It shows $175 million in FY2026 discretionary funding and $63 million in mandatory funding from the 2025 reconciliation law.
FY2026 funds availability
Confirmed. FY2026 Army RDT&E appropriations remain available for obligation until September 30, 2027.
Continuing resolution
Confirmed. Public Law 119-103, approved September 2, 2026, continues funding at the FY2026 rate for operations, including under the FY2026 Defense Appropriations Act, through December 11, 2026.
FY2027 House positions
Confirmed. The FY2027 NDAA text considered by the House includes $100 million for the program, PE 0607139A. House appropriators proposed $155 million. Neither figure is enacted.
Records: Congressional Record, July 21, 2026, p. H4932 and House Appropriations Committee, FY27 Defense bill summary
Stop-work risk
Confirmed. GAO reported that program officials said GE and Sikorsky would have stopped T901 work in 2026 without additional funding, further delaying production.
Record: GAO-26-108457, p. 110
Overrun drivers
Confirmed. GAO reported that GE anticipated cost overruns. According to the Army, turnover in subject-matter expertise contributed to rework of engine hardware and associated documentation.
Record: GAO-26-108457, p. 110
Data rights
Confirmed. The August 25 notice states that the government does not hold a complete technical data package for the T901 and wants at least Government Purpose Rights for all software and hardware.
Record: U.S. Army, August 25 notice
Source Record
- U.S. Army. Notice proposing up to 24 T901 Series (YT Rated) engines on contract W58RGZ-19-C-0003. August 25, 2026. SAM.gov
- U.S. Army. Improved Turbine Engine Program production sources sought notice. August 14, 2026. SAM.gov
- U.S. Army. Cleared for Takeoff: T901's Historic Run to Preliminary Flight Rating. August 12, 2026. army.mil
- U.S. Army. FY2027 RDT&E budget justification, Volume 4, Budget Activity 7, PE 0607139A. asafm.army.mil
- U.S. Department of War. Contracts for July 30, 2026. war.gov
- U.S. Government Accountability Office. Weapon Systems Annual Assessment, GAO-26-108457. July 2, 2026. Page 110. gao.gov
- U.S. Congress. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, Public Law 119-75, Division A. uscode.house.gov
- U.S. Congress. Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, Public Law 119-103. September 2, 2026. govinfo.gov
- U.S. Congress. Congressional Record, July 21, 2026, page H4932. The linked file opens at H4736. govinfo.gov
- House Appropriations Committee. FY27 Defense bill full committee summary. appropriations.house.gov
- Aviation Week. GE On Track For T901 Turboshaft Qualification In Late 2027. September 4, 2026. aviationweek.com
- Breaking Defense. GE warns ITEP engine program needs little bit more money for testing in FY27 budget. April 2026. breakingdefense.com