Rolls-Royce completed the first MTU eight-cylinder series 199 engine to be manufactured in the UK. The facility for the assembly and load testing of these engines, which are intended to power the Boxer vehicles for the British Army, is now fully operational at the plant in East Grinstead (West Sussex). Rolls-Royce will be showcasing this engine and its full range of products for land and naval forces on its stand at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London from 12-15 September. The test run of the first MTU 8V199 TE21 assembled in the UK with an output of 600 kW is now complete. The production of these special engines for military applications in the UK is part of the agreement for the delivery of the Boxer vehicle programme. The “Boxer” is a highly protected 8×8 wheeled vehicle whose modular architecture allows for an exceptionally high number of variants. So far, about 1,500 wheeled vehicles have been ordered, including for Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Australia.
The MTU series 199 is the best-selling tank engine in its power class. The 6- and 8-cylinder engines of the MTU 199 series are characterised by particularly high power combined with especially low weight and volume. Apart from the “Boxer”, the MTU series 199 also powers other armoured vehicles in this size class. The Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems manufactures the engines at three locations: in Friedrichshafen (Germany), East Grinstead (U.K.) and Aiken (USA). Rolls-Royce is currently developing a variant of the MTU series 199 with even higher power output – 800 kW compared with the current 600 kW – to ensure best possible off-road mobility even for heavier vehicles. Engines of Series 199 have established themselves in various armoured vehicles, among them the Austrian ULAN and the Spanish Pizarro vehicles. mtu’s scope of delivery includes the cooling system and two generators with 550 Amperes with each engine.
mtu is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems within the Land & Sea division of Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. Annual underlying revenue was £12.69bn in 2022 and underlying operating profit was £652m. Rolls-Royce Power Systems is headquartered in Friedrichshafen in southern Germany and employs more than 9,500 people. The product portfolio includes MTU-brand high-speed engines and propulsion systems for ships, power generation, heavy land, rail and defence vehicles and for the oil and gas industry as well as diesel and gas systems and battery containers for mission-critical, standby and continuous power, combined generation of heat and power, and microgrids and is intensively engaged in the development of climate-neutral solutions.
