Pratt &Whitney has been awarded $66 million to prepare the Engine Core Upgrade of F135 engines for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft

The US has increased funding for the F135 engine modernisation project for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. Pratt & Whitney received more than $60 million.

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The US manufacturer will be able to continue to conduct preliminary design work for the Engine Core Upgrade (ECU). The $66m allocation has increased the funding to $180m.

In March 2023, the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps decided to upgrade the F135 engine instead of developing a new adaptive cycle propulsion system. Pratt &Whitney said it was the right decision to support national defence and defence industrial base priorities.

The ECU is the fastest, least risky and cheapest way to open the way for the F-35 fighter jets to become Block 4 upgrades. The upgrade will allow the F135 ECU to be used in all versions of the aircraft, whereas the adaptive engine would not have been compatible with the F-35B. In addition, the ECU will result in $40bn in lifecycle savings.

Source: Pratt & Whitney