PBS GROUP and Pratt & Whitney, a company of RTX (NYSE: RTX), have signed an agreement to jointly develop a new generation of Auxiliary Power Units (APU) for both commercial and military applications, including fighter aircraft, helicopters, and business jets. The announcement was made at a ceremony attended by the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade.
The cooperation was made possible through the Industrial Cooperation Section of the Czech Ministry of Defence, which plays a long-term role in facilitating key international projects and strengthening the innovative potential of the Czech defense industry.
“PBS GROUP is a unique company on both the Czech and global scale. Its cooperation with RTX – one of the largest global defense companies – is proof of PBS’s capabilities and also a recognition of the entire Czech industry. This project will significantly expand the competencies and capacity of Czech industry, which is essential to ensuring security of supply in times of crisis,” said Ing. Radka Konderlová, Director General of the Industrial Cooperation Section at the Czech Ministry of Defence.
Auxiliary Power Units (APU) are compact engines used to start main aircraft engines and to provide electrical power and compressed air to support critical aircraft systems – from cabin climate control and avionics cooling to emergency power for in-flight engine restart.
“PBS is one of only four companies worldwide authorized to develop and certify civil APUs. Our goal is to design a new generation – smaller, lighter, and more powerful – that will bring new capabilities to both military and commercial aviation,” said Milan Macholán, CEO of PBS Velká Bíteš.
The new APU is expected to achieve the highest power density on the market, offering maximum output with reduced size and weight, enabling advanced capabilities for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
“The next generation of aircraft requires the next generation of APUs – more compact, more powerful, and lighter,” added Steven Michael Shepro, Vice President, Integrated Customer Solutions, Pratt & Whitney.
Edited: Katerina Urbanova
Photo credit: PBS Group
