Pratt & Whitney Canada has been awarded a nine-year, $1 billion contract from V2X Inc. to overhaul more than 750 PT6A-68 engines that power the U.S. Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) T-6 trainer fleet. Pratt & Whitney is an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business. Issued under V2X’s T-6 Contractor Operated and Maintained Base Supply (COMBS) contract, the award underscores the companies’ long-standing partnership delivering sustainment support for the T-6 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Bridgeport facility has been performing PT6A-68 maintenance, repair and overhaul work for more than four decades, providing mission-critical engine sustainment for operators worldwide. This award marks the second time the site has been awarded this engine refurbishment contract for the U.S. government, further demonstrating its proven performance, technical expertise and commitment to excellence in engine sustainment.
“V2X is extremely excited to have the engine OEM Pratt & Whitney Canada and their Bridgeport facility as a key partner on this contract,” said Chis Abrams, vice president, V2X Aerospace Solutions. “We have great confidence in the P&WC Bridgeport team having worked together on other long-term contracts throughout the years.”
“Supporting JPATS pilots starts with reliable trainer aircraft, and our maintenance work helps ensure these planes are ready for every new class of aviators,” said Frédéric Lefebvre, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Customer Service Operations. “This award is a testament to our 500 West Virginia employees, and the high-quality sustainment support they provide to our customers.”
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 consists of two basic sections: a gas generator with accessory gearbox, and a free-power turbine with reduction gearbox. In aircraft, the engine is often mounted “backwards,” with the intake at the rear and the exhaust at the front, so that the turbine is directly connected to the propeller. The PT6A turboprop engine covers the power range between 580 and 1,940 shp (430 and 1,450 kW), while the PT6B/C are turboshaft variants for helicopters. The PT6A turboprop engine covers the power range between 580 and 1,940 shp (430 and 1,450 kW), while the PT6B/C are turboshaft variants for helicopters. Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is powered by a single Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop engine in tractor configuration with an aluminum, 97-inch (8.1 ft; 2.5 m), four-blade, constant-speed, variable pitch, nonreversing, feathering propeller assembly and has retractable tricycle landing gear.
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 as of 2020. 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.
