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Rheinmetall will supply the German Air Force with 6 new Mobile Start Units with integrated Ground Power (MSU-GP) under a new contract with the German procurement agency, BAAINBw.
The contract, worth up to €13 million, will run over the next three years. It also includes the retrofit of 48 MSU-E units currently in service to the most recent MSU-GP version. The German Air Force has been using the Rheinmetall MSU to start its entire fleet of aircraft, including the Eurofighter, since 2014.
Designed to prioritize reliability and versatility, the Rheinmetall MSU-GP is a turbine-powered air start unit that is lighter to deploy and more compact than a diesel engine unit. The MSU-GP is air transportable and proven across the globe even in extreme weather environments. Integrated ground power means that the unit saves critical space with both a bleed air and electrical power supply in a single unit, while improving cost effectiveness.
Rheinmetall’s MSUs have both military and commercial applications and a broad international appeal. They are used with the German Air Force and are also in operation with the US Navy who employs them on all of its aircraft carriers. Trusted by civilian companies including major German aviation companies, British Airways, American Airlines, Air New Zealand, and FedEx, the MSUs can start even the most demanding aircraft, including the B777-300ER and A380.
Rheinmetall has also introduced the Rheinmetall eMSU, which the company claims is the world’s first all-electric air start unit. The eMSU allows for carbon-free main engine starts and reduction in overall ground operations emissions. Easy to operate, it is the greenest air start unit solution on the market.
