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.
