The U.S. Department of Defense awarded East Hartford jet-engine builder Pratt & Whitney a $194 million long-lead production contract for engines to power the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
Pratt is the sole maker of engines for the F-35 and has received a number of contracts for their manufacturer. This $194-million contract allows Pratt to acquire raw materials and begin production in preparation to start delivering them in June 2013.
Versions of Pratt’s F135 powerplant will propel both the conventional runway takeoff and short takeoff/vertical landing versions of the Lightning II.
This lot for the F-35 calls for 37 engines: 24 conventional take-off and landing engines for the U.S. Air Force, Italian Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force; seven carrier variant engines for the U.S. Navy; and six short take-off and landing propulsion systems for the U.S. Marine Corp.
