Pratt & Whitney reported the F135 Engine Core Upgrade is on schedule and “exceeding expectations,” having completed its preliminary design review. That review teamed the engine developer and manufacturer with the U.S. Dept. of Defense F-35 Joint Program Office in evaluating the ECU design changes and propulsion technologies, which are the focus of the overall effort to modernize the F135 turbofan engine in order to support “next generation weapons and sensors.”
The Pratt & Whitney F135 is the power supply for all three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet, with over 1,200 engines supplied to date. As part of a broad (Block 4) upgrade to the aircraft’s electronic hardware and software that will facilitate dozens of new weapons systems, the jets’ core processors and memory will be updated in an effort called Technology Refresh 3 (TR3.)
In parallel with these objectives is the task of enhancing the F-35’s engine propulsion capabilities. After a long evaluation of its options, last year the Pentagon decided against replacing the F-135 with a new engine model, favoring Pratt & Whitney’s approach to modifying the existing design. P&W called the Engine Core Upgrade “the fastest, most cost-effective, and lowest-risk path to Block 4 capability for all global F-35 operators. It is optimized for all three F-35 variants and will yield $40 billion in lifecycle cost savings by avoiding disruptive and costly air vehicle changes and leveraging the current global sustainment infrastructure.”
In March, the DOD committed to full funding of the ECU, at a cost of $497 million in the current budget year, and Pratt & Whitney asserted the ECU will fully enable Block 4 capabilities starting in 2029.
The F135 ECU will be incorporated into F-35s at the point of production or retrofitted at a F135 depot sustainment facilities, Pratt & Whitney explained.
"Pratt & Whitney is upgrading the F135 engine with technology from multiple development programs to deliver increased capability and performance for the warfighter," stated Chris Johnson, vice president of Pratt & Whitney's F135 program, following the preliminary design review. "Upgrading the F-35's propulsion system to ECU is a critical step toward ensuring the F-35 remains the world's premier air dominance fighter."
