Pratt and Whitney secures $1.3 billion for F135 engine core upgrade

RTX's Pratt and Whitney has received a $1.3 billion Navy contract for continued work on the F135 engine core upgrade for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to a Monday Pentagon announcement.

The award will “provide for the design, analysis, rig testing, engine test preparation, developmental hardware, test asset assembly, air system integration, airworthiness evaluation, and product support planning in support of the continued maturation” of the engine, the announcement states, indicating work is expected to conclude in March 2028.

In a statement shared with Inside Defense, Pratt & Whitney’s Military Engines business President Jill Albertelli said the contract is “critical to continuing our positive forward momentum on this program.”

“It allows us to continue work in the risk-reduction phase with a fully staffed team focused on design maturation, aircraft integration and mobilizing the supply base to prepare for production,” Albertelli added.

The company’s F135 engine completed a preliminary design review for the F-35 engine core upgrade in July, putting the program on pace to field by 2029. Last year, the Air Force officially decided to modernize the F-35’s existing engine rather than develop a new one, making Pratt the sole vendor for the project.