Pratt & Whitney, a business under RTX, has been awarded a definitive contract modification worth $66 million for the continued preliminary design efforts of the F135 Engine Core Upgrade. This brings the total secured funding for the engine modernization effort to $180 million, thanks to the support of the Connecticut congressional delegation. The funding will be utilized for design engineering, program management support, technology maturation, risk reduction, long lead material and hardware purchase, as well as weapons system integration.
In March 2023, the decision was made by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy to upgrade the F135 engine rather than replacing it with an entirely new engine. This decision was announced as part of President Biden’s 2024 budget proposal. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35 aircraft, expressed its support for the F135 ECU on June 30, 2023, reaffirming its commitment to assisting the U.S. Government’s decision.