The US Department of Defense has awarded RTX segment Pratt & Whitney a $3.8-billion contract to produce F135 engines for the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft.
The deal is part of the ongoing Joint Strike Fighter program, which supplies, repairs, and maintains the international fleet of the American-built fifth-generation jet.
According to the Pentagon notice, the award serves as a modification to finalize manufacturing of the Lot 18 F135 engines and supplement separate production under Lot 19.
The contract increases the effort’s overall value under both propulsion batches to $6.6 billion, covering supply across the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, F-35 cooperative partners, and foreign military sales customers.
Alongside the full-rate production engines, Pratt & Whitney will deliver related spares, modules, engineering services, management, and technical assistance, enabling continued readiness and supply chain availability for US military and global users.
Pratt & Whitney will process the orders primarily in Connecticut, while corresponding activities will be conducted in several states and overseas locations.
The company is expected to complete the contract by March 2028, with oversight led by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland.
‘Unmatched’ Technology
The F135 is an afterburning turbofan system based on the older F119 engine that powers the US Armed Forces’ first fifth-generation jet, the F-22 Raptor.
It has a length of 220 inches (559 centimeters), a diameter of 46 inches (117 centimeters), and a weight of up to 1,770 kilograms, depending on the configuration.
The engine is equipped on all three F-35 variants and has an output of approximately 115,000 horsepower in those platforms.
It supports a top speed of Mach 1.6 (1,228 miles/1,976 kilometers per hour), a service ceiling of 50,000 feet (15,240 meters), and a range of over 1,300 nautical miles (1,496 miles/2,408 kilometers).
Currently, the F135 initiative has distributed more than 1,400 engines for F-35 fleets across 20 allied nations.
It supports more than 66,000 roles in 47 states and territories, and generated over $9 billion for the US economy in 2025.
“The F135 is the most advanced military engine in the world, delivering unmatched thrust, reliability and mission readiness for the United States and its allies,” said Jill Albertelli, president of military engines at Pratt & Whitney.
“Pratt & Whitney is investing heavily across our global production base and supply chain to increase production and accelerate engine delivery and sustainment to meet growing global demand for the F-35 program.”
