Pratt and Whitney Gets $4.4 Billion To Develop F-35 Engines

F-35 prices continue to climb; officials look to rein in cost.

Michael Wildes

Thursday, July 07, 2022 at 04:04 PM ET

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Pratt and Whitney will make 178 new engines for F-35a Lightning IIs like this one. [Courtesy: Lockheed Martin]

Key Takeaways:

The Department of Defense (DOD) awarded Pratt & Whitney a modified $4.4 billion contract for 178 new F-35 engines, demonstrating its continued commitment to the program despite ongoing concerns.
This contract comes amidst criticism from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding significant F-35 production delays, postponed operational testing, and a four-year delay in modernization efforts due to escalating costs.
The F-35 program remains the U.S. military's most expensive weapons system, with Lockheed Martin defending its strategic value while attributing rising costs to factors like the pandemic and inflation.

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Despite recent concerns from the Government Accountability Office regarding production delays and costs of the military’s F-35 fighter program, the Department of Defense (DOD) awarded Pratt and Whitney (NYSE: RTX) a modified $4.4 billion contract for 178 new engines for the stealth-enabled aircraft.

According to the DOD, Pratt & Whitney will develop 152 PW-100 engine variants, of which 108 will be for the Air Force, 29 for the Navy, and 15 for the Marine Corps. Another 26 PW-600 engines will be made for the Marine Corps’ F-35B variant that has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.