Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has been awarded a $2.8 billion undefinitized contract action (UCA) for production of Lot 18 of F135 engines, which power all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II 5th generation fighter aircraft. The contract funds production of conventional take-off and landing (CTOL), carrier variant (CV), and short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F135 engines for the U.S. and international customers, and includes spare engines, spare modules, program management, tooling, engineering and production support. The F135 program sustains more than 67,000 domestic jobs, 240 U.S. suppliers and contributed more than $9.1 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024. To date, Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 1,300 F135 production engines to a global enterprise that includes 20 allied nations.
“The combat-proven F135 engine delivers the power, safety, reliability, and low-observability to ensure operators can accomplish their most critical missions. The F135 is ultimately an investment in mission assurance, providing the warfighters of today and tomorrow the technological edge to fight and win,” said Christopher K. Johnson, Pratt & Whitney’s vice president for the F135 program. “This contract will enable our team to continue providing this critical capability to help the U.S. and its allies maintain air superiority for decades to come.”
The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, a single-engine strike fighter. It has two variants; a Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) variant used in the F-35A and F-35C, and a two-cycle Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant used in the F-35B that includes a forward lift fan. Derived from the F119 engine, the F135 is a mixed-flow afterburning turbofan utilizing a similar core as the F119 with a new fan and LP turbine. There are two F135 variants: the -100 and the -600 versions.The first production engines were delivered in 2009. Developed from the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine used on the F-22 Raptor, the F135 produces around 28,000 lbf (125 kN) of thrust and 43,000 lbf (191 kN) with afterburner. The F135 competed with the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 to power the F-35.
Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Pratt & Whitney’s aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airliners) and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut. The company is the world’s second largest commercial aircraft engine manufacturer, with a 35% market share. In addition to aircraft engines, Pratt & Whitney manufactures gas turbine engines for industrial use, marine propulsion, and power generation. In 2017, the company reported that it supported more than 11,000 customers in 180 countries around the world. RTX is the world’s largest aerospace and defense company. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon – the company are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges.
