Netherlands MoD, StandardAero Sign Partnership For F135 Engine Servicing Upgrades

Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence (MOD) and StandardAero have signed an agreement for establishing F135 military engine maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) Depot services at Logistic Center Woensdrecht --  a Netherlands Air Force Base, centrally located on the European continent, as part of a partnership for international F-35 aircraft support.

On June 11, Air Commodore Verbeek, on behalf of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), and Scott Starrett, President of StandardAero Military & Energy, signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) to begin the process of developing this strategic partnership for servicing upgrade activities on F135 engines, with the goal to achieve initial Depot capability status by the end of 2019.

In late 2014, the U.S. government selected the Netherlands as one of its future F135 depot locations in Europe.  Since that time, both the Netherlands government and the Province of Noord-Brabant have secured funding to invest in facilities, tooling and equipment required to operate the Depot.  

The F135 Depot set up and operation will be accomplished as a Public-Private Partnership between the State of the Netherlands and StandardAero through a Government Owned, Company Operated (GOCO) construct.  The GOCO partnership will also secure additional opportunities for more and/or other F135 related activities, which will be created as the F-35 program evolves and more European countries join the F-35 program.

StandardAero enabled this agreement through its acquisition of DutchAero Services (DAS) from GE/Avio in March, 2015.  Since that time, StandardAero took over the existing operations to establish a Defence Services Europe business unit for providing military MRO&U services for Pratt & Whitney F100 and now, for F135 engines.

The Woensdrecht Depot will become StandardAero’s second MRO operation in the Netherlands and will serve the maintenance needs of the Royal Netherland Air Force (RNLAF) as well as other military operators worldwide.  Woensdrecht is one of only three F135 engine Depots in Europe and StandardAero is the first commercial company that will participate in F135 MRO services in Europe.