U.S. Dept. of Defense
A Pratt & Whitney F-135 engine on a test stand.

Pratt & Whitney Wins $4.4B Contract for F-35 Engines

June 16, 2022
The Defense Department authorized the manufacturer to proceed with work for 178 engines, though negotiations are continuing with Lockheed Martin on the cost of the next round of fighter jets.

Pratt & Whitney has drawn a $4.385-billion defense contract for 178 new F135 engines, the turbofan jet engine that powers the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The contract issued by the Naval Air Systems Command covers 108 F135-PW-100 engines for F-35A aircraft; 26 F135-PW-600 engines for F-35B aircraft; and 29 F135-PW-100 engines for F-35C jets.

The new contract is notable because the Pentagon has yet to finalize contract terms for Lots 15, 16, and 17 with F-35 program lead contractor Lockheed Martin.

The contracted work is due to be completed by September 2024. Pratt & Whitney manufactures the F-135 engine at its East Hartford and Middletown, Conn., plants, though work for the new contract will be carried out there and at more than a dozen other locations in the U.S., according to the U.S. Dept. of Defense announcement.

There are three variants of the Stealth-enabled fighter jet, each customized to the functional requirements of the U.S. Air Force (F-35A), U.S. Navy (F-35B), and U.S. Marine Corps (F-35C). The new contract will fund production of engines for Lots 15 and 16 of the F-35 program.

The contract also covers long-lead items and materials for engines to be supplied by the Dept. of Defense to F-35 Foreign Military Sales customers, along with an unreported number of spare engines and spare parts.