The Pentagon will not develop a $6 billion adaptive engine for the F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter

The Pentagon has decided not to develop an engine with an adaptive cycle for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter. The new propulsion system will be reserved for the sixth-generation aircraft. Instead, Pratt & Whitney will upgrade the F135 engine.

Here's What We Know

Development of the adaptive engine began in 2016. The project is called the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP). General Electric is building the XA100 engine and has even promised to adapt it for each of the three versions of the F-35 (A/B/C), but Pratt & Whitney is pushing the idea of upgrading the F135.

The cost of developing the propulsion system would exceed $6 billion. For this reason, the US Air Force would have to order 70 fewer fighters, and the entire lifecycle would cost tens of billions of dollars.

Pratt & Whitney announced in late winter that it had begun work on a preliminary design for the F135 upgrade. The company will use $200m of the 2022 and 2023 funds to do so. An upgraded engine would cost three times less than developing a new powertrain. In addition, the F135 has already proven itself on each of the three versions of the F-35.

Source: Defence News