Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has booked a U.S. Navy contract worth $1.3 billion to keep working on the F135 Engine Core Upgrade for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
RTX said Monday the aerospace manufacturer specializing in aircraft engines and auxiliary power units will further develop the F135 ECU and ensure design maturation and aircraft integration.
Under the contract, the RTX subsidiary will continue working on the design and developmental hardware while performing analysis, rig testing, engine test preparation, test asset assembly, air system integration, airworthiness evaluation and product support planning for the ECU.
Pratt & Whitney completed the preliminary design for the ECU in July. Once the project is complete, the new ECU will be retrofitted into old F-35 aircraft and integrated into new ones during production.
Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt & Whitney’s military engines business, reinforced the significance of the contract to the program’s continuous growth. “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.”
