East Hartford aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Military Engines finally secured its $1.12 billion contract for jet fighter engines when the Pentagon late Wednesday made the award.
The award ends years of battling over who would supply the engines to the F-35 Lightning II warplane. Fairfield-based General Electric had lobbied Congress to retain funding for an alternative engine to the fighter plane, but GE announced earlier this month it would no longer seek the F-35 contract.
The contract originally was awarded to Pratt in July 2010; and the manufacturer and the Pentagon reached final terms on discounted price in May of this year.
Versions of Pratt’s F135 powerplant will propel both the conventional runway takeoff and short takeoff/vertical landing versions of the Lightning II.
The $1.12 billion contract awarded by the Pentagon includes $358 million allocated immediately. The contract combines purchases from the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy.
Two-thirds of the contract work will be performed in East Hartford with the remaining one-third split evenly between Indianapolis, Ind. and Bristol, United Kingdom.
