US To Speed Israel F-35 Deliveries, Awards $10 Million For Pratt & Whitney Engines

The US Defense Department has awarded a $10.2 million contract to advance its F-35 JSF deliveries to the Israeli Air Force.

Israel is the first international customer of the JSF and has ordered 19 F-35s which were scheduled to arrive in Israel by 2017.

Under the contract, Pratt & Whitney Military Engines would supply components for low-rate initial production of the JSF for Israel and Japan.

“Work will be performed in East Hartford, Conn. [67 percent]; Bristol, United Kingdom [16.5 percent]; and Indianapolis, Ind. [16.5 percent], and is expected to be completed in September 2016,” the Pentagon said.

In a statement on March 26, the Pentagon said P&W would produce two propulsion systems for Israel and six for Japan. The Pentagon said Israel would be assigned 25 percent, or $2.5 million, of the latest award, a modification of a previous contract.

This marked the second JSF contract for Israel in eight days. The previous award called on L-M to supply a logistics system for the F-35 for Israel and Japan.

“Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,242,104 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year,” the Pentagon said.