U.S. aerospace and defense contractor RTX has entered into an agreement to fund Canadian firm Gastops’ research and development program on advanced oil debris and fuel monitoring for Pratt & Whitney military engines. The agreement was initiated under Canada’s Industrial and Technology Benefits policy and calls for “a multimillion-dollar investment from RTX,” Gastops said Wednesday.
According to Shaun Horning, Gastops president and CEO, the investment and engineering partnership with Pratt & Whitney is critical to developing next-generation oil and fuel monitoring systems. He said RTX’s support will enable Gastops to pursue its “goal of Canadian innovation” and to expand its technology capabilities.
Mélanie Joly, Canadian industry minister, stressed the need to advance Canada’s defense sector. She said that besides promoting defense industry innovation, the RTX investment in Gastops will also support the country’s economic growth and create high-value local jobs.
More Prospects for Collaboration
Pratt & Whitney has been using Gastops’ MetalSCAN ODM sensors since the early 1990s, when the F119 engine that powers Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor was introduced. MetalSCAN monitoring technology has been adopted in other Pratt & Whitney engines, and talks are being done on integrating Gastops’ next-generation monitoring systems into other military engine projects.
One Pratt & Whitney project, modernizing the propulsion system of the U.S. F-35 Lightning II jet fighter, has secured a $497 million fiscal year 2024 allocation from Washington. In November, Pratt & Whitney Canada announced it would use its PW127XT regional turboprop engine to demonstrate hydrogen combustion technology under the Hydrogen Advanced Design Engine Study.