Pratt & Whitney Secures $1.3B Contract for F-35 Engine Core Upgrade

Pratt & Whitney has been awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion for continued work on the F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU).

The ECU is intended to improve the engine's durability while providing enhanced power and cooling to support Block 4 capabilities and future upgrades across all three variants of the F-35 aircraft.

The company  completed its preliminary design review of the F135 ECU in July.

The contract allows Pratt & Whitney to continue the risk reduction phase of the project, focusing on design maturation, aircraft integration, and preparation for production. In July, the company completed a preliminary design review for the ECU, indicating alignment with the F-35 Joint Program Office on the upgrade's design. Currently, more than 700 engineers and program managers are working full-time on the project.

Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 1,200 F135 production engines to date, accumulating over 900,000 flight hours. The ECU will be incorporated into F-35 aircraft during production or retrofitted at various sustainment facilities worldwide.