Pratt & Whitney halts deliveries of F135 engines for F-35 Lightning II fighters

Recently it became known about US stopped deliveries of F-35 Lightning II fighters for the second time in a few months - Lockheed Martin will not be able to fulfill the 2022 contract in full. Now the U.S. military has announced the temporary cessation of deliveries of F135 engines.

Here's What We Know

The reason for the suspension of supplies of aircraft and engines for them was the accident of F-35B in Texas. In December 2022 the plane fell on the runway during a vertical landing. According to preliminary reports, the cause of the crash was an engine malfunction.

As it turned out, the supply of F135 engines was stopped on December 27, 2022. The ban will be lifted only after the investigation of the incident with the fall of the F-35B in Texas is completed. This is a joint decision by the Joint Office of the F-35 program and defense contractor Pratt & Whitney.

What's interesting is that the head of Pratt & Whitney wrote in a letter to Defense News that F135 deliveries have not officially been suspended. The company vice president adds that the engine has over 600,000 flight hours, and the safety of combat fighters is a top priority for the manufacturer.

Source: Defense News