Air Force looks to Aviation Ground Equipment and PD Power for ground power units at airports and air bases

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – U.S. Air Force aviation ground equipment experts needed aircraft ground power units to provide electric power to aircraft on the ground. They found their solutions from Aviation Ground Equipment Corp. in Melville, N.Y., and from PD Power Systems LLC in Springfield, Va.

Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., announced contracts to the two companies potentially and collectively worth nearly a billion dollars on Friday for aviation ground power units.

The companies each won 10-year contracts potentially worth $482 million. PD Power will provide 72-kilowatt ground power units, while Aviation Ground Equipment will provide 72-kilowatt ground power units, 144-kilowatt ground power units, and 144-kilowatt universal load banks.

Ground power units, used at airports and military air bases, connect to the electrical systems of aircraft while on the ground to provide either 120-volt AC or 28-volt DC power. Ground power units usually consist of a generator powered by a diesel engine but may found in other configurations. The contracts include data such as test reports, provisioning, and technical manuals.

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Aviation Ground Power offers the AGEC 6021 Air Force-specified 72-kilowatt Multi-Output Diesel Cart for all military applications from land-based theaters to shipboard environments. The unit offers integrated power frequency converter with three modes of operation: 400 Hz Output, 28 volts DC output, and 270 volts DC output.

PD Power offers the MEP-PU-810C/D units for U.S. military applications future users. The unit is mounted on a two-axle wagon-style chassis equipped with surge actuated hydraulic brakes, a lunette-ring hitch tow bar, and is designed for low speed mobility, towed by vehicles without trailer brake controllers.

PD Power’s MEP-PU-810D model power unit is mounted on a two-axle chassis, equipped with air actuated brakes, a 5th wheel kingpin hitch, and is compliant for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) transport at highway speeds.

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Both models offer 750 hours mean time between essential function failure (MTBEFF), 800-kilowatts ISO 8528-1. They are transportable aboard Air Force C-5 and C-17 cargo jets, and are meet MIL-STD-461F for electromagnetic compatibility.

On these contracts, PD Power will do the work in Springfield, Va., and should be finished by November 2032. Aviation Ground Equipment will do the work in Melville, N.Y., and should be finished by November 2032.

For more information contact PD Power Systems online at www.aviationgroundequip.com, Aviation Ground Equipment Corp. at https://pdpowersystems.com, or the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center-Robins at www.robins.af.mil/Units/AFLCMC.