Pratt & Whitney Bags $2.9B F-35 Engine Contract

Raytheon Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney Military Engines has secured a contract modification valued at up to $2.9 billion to build and deliver 141 F135 engines for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced the award, which modifies an earlier contract and covers engines for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, cooperative partners, and foreign military sales customers. Work will take place across multiple U.S. states and overseas, with completion expected by February 2028.

Funding obligations include $575.7 million from Navy aircraft procurement, $537.3 million from Air Force aircraft procurement for fiscal year 2024, and additional funding from fiscal year 2025 budgets, foreign customers, and international partners.

The F135 engine, derived from the F119 that powers the F-22 Raptor, produces up to 43,000 pounds of thrust with afterburner. It exclusively powers all three variants of the F-35: the conventional takeoff F-35A, the carrier-based F-35C, and the short takeoff/vertical landing F-35B, which integrates Rolls-Royce’s LiftSystem.

Since first deliveries in 2009, more than 1,300 F135 engines have been produced to support the growing global F-35 fleet, which exceeded 1,200 aircraft by mid-2025. Lockheed Martin delivered 110 F-35s in 2024 and plans up to 190 deliveries in 2025, making it the most produced fighter jet in the United States.

The deal comes as debate continues over the F-35’s single-engine design. In May 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump remarked that he preferred fighters with two or more engines, suggesting a redesign of the F-35. Defense officials quickly dismissed the idea, noting it would require a new aircraft rather than a modification.

Future upgrades to the F135 include the Engine Core Upgrade (ECU), planned for the F-35 Block IV modernization around 2029, which aims to increase thrust, improve thermal management, and enhance efficiency.

The F-35 program involves over a dozen international customers including Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Israel, and Australia. The U.S. remains the largest operator, with plans to acquire more than 2,400 jets.