Pratt & Whitney (P&W), a producer of aircraft engines widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation announced that the company has successfully delivered the 1,000th F135 production engine. The engine was handed over to the U.S. Department of Defense for the 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II fighter. This milestone delivery was marked by a celebration with Pratt & Whitney employees, company leaders, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) as well as representatives from the F-35 Joint Program Office.
P&W has invested more than 500 million dollars since the first F135 production engine was delivered in 2009. The investment was mainly for capital, process improvements and cost reduction initiatives to support the production ramp and reduce the average unit cost of the F135 by more than 50%. In addition to Middletown, F135 production sites include P&W’s West Palm Beach, FL facility as well as a Final Assembly & Check-Out (FACO) facility operated by IHI in Japan.
“The 1,000th F135 delivery is a testament to the hard work of thousands of P&W employees and hundreds of suppliers who play a vital role in every engine that comes off the production line,” said Jen Latka, vice president, F135 program, Pratt & Whitney. “This milestone underscores the maturity of the F135, which has been proven in the field as the safest, most capable fighter engine in the history of military aviation. As the only 5th Generation fighter engine in production today, the F135 provides the warfighter with a critical technological advantage. We are proud to support our men and women in uniform as a partner on the F-35,”she further added.