The U.S. Dept. of Defense issued a one-year contract worth up to $1.6-billion contract to Pratt & Whitney for a range of supplies, services, and support for F135 engines, the power plant for all F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. As noted by Pratt - the developer and manufacturer of the afterburning turbofan engines - the contract will fund critical maintenance (“sustainment”) activities, including maintenance and repair at F-35 MRO depots in the U.S. and abroad; spare parts replenishment; material management; propulsion system integration; engineering support; and software updates for aircraft in service for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, and international customers.
The contract, which was not up for bid, will conclude in November 2026.
The F135 is an afterburning turbofan engine for all three variants of the single-engine, Joint Strike Fighter jets. Pratt & Whitney has supplied more than 1,300 F135 engines to date.
Part of the sustainment effort will be implementing the Engine Core Update to improve the propulsion system capabilities for all three variants of the F-135 turbofan engine, in anticipation of the Pentagon’s Technology Refresh-3 for the F-35 – implementing more advanced flight control software, improved data-processing capabilities, greater computer memory, and enhanced graphical displays that will be compatible with the upcoming Block 4 upgrade to the aircraft.
"Investing in F135 sustainment keeps allied forces ready to meet current and future threats," stated Kinda Eastwood, P&W’s vice president of F135 Sustainment. "F-35 operators worldwide depend on the F135 for the power and performance their missions demand, and this award helps us maintain readiness rates that enable the warfighter to accomplish their critical missions."
