One week after United Technologies Corp. announced 11,600 job cuts for the coming year, chief executive officer Louis Chenevert today warned the company could cut up to another 3,000 in Connecticut if the F-22 jet fighter program is canceled.
The Obama administration was expected to make a decision on the program’s future by March 1, but no announcement has come yet. UTC subsidiary Pratt & Whitney builds the F-22 engines, as well as engines for the new generation of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Most of the engine assembly work is performed in Middletown.
Chenevert, speaking at the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning, said the job cuts would come at a critical time for Pratt & Whitney, with F-35 production expected to accelerate in 2013.
On the job cuts announced last week, Chenevert said, “We have an environment as challenging as we’ve ever seen.”
Chenevert said between 1,500 and 1,700 jobs would likely get cut in Connecticut as part of a companywide $750 million restructuring program for 2009.
“If we didn’t take action, we’d affect our ability to recover,” Chenevert said.
At 11 a.m., UTC traded at $41.47, up 90 cents, or 2.2 percent.
