CT’s Pratt & Whitney lands $1.6B contract. Lawmakers say it protects ‘thousands of local jobs’
Pratt & Whitney has been awarded a $1.6 billion “undefinitized” contract action for sustainment of F135 engines, according to the company.
The engines power all “three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft,” according to the East Hartford-based company.
Reps. John B. Larson, D-1, Joe Courtney, D-2, and Rosa DeLauro, D-3, said in a statement that the $1.6 billion contract awarded by the Pentagon is for a “majority of the work being performed in Connecticut.”
“This contract funds sustainment work for the F135 engine, protecting thousands of local jobs and ensuring F-35 mission readiness for our military and allies across the globe,” the lawmakers said in a statement.
Pratt, RTX business, said the contract funds “key sustainment activities, including depot level maintenance and repair, replenishment of spare parts, material management, propulsion system integration, engineering support, and software sustainment for the U.S. and international customers.”
“Investing in F135 sustainment keeps allied forces ready to meet current and future threats,” said Kinda Eastwood, vice president of F135 Sustainment at Pratt & Whitney, in a statement. “F-35 operators worldwide depend on the F135 for the power and performance their missions demand, and this award helps us maintain readiness rates that enable the warfighter to accomplish their critical missions.”
The lawmakers said the contract announcement is “good news for our state’s highly skilled machinists and engineers, and our national security. It is a win for Pratt & Whitney and the 23,000 workers across our state that work on the F135 engine.”
“The F135 engine is the most advanced, reliable, and capable production fighter engine the world has ever known – built right here in East Hartford and Middletown. Last year, we led and won the fight against out-of-state special interests to ensure Connecticut’s union machinists can keep the eagle flying for years to come, supporting F135 modernization over an expensive, wasteful, and risky alternate engine that would cost taxpayers billions,” the lawmakers said. “Whether it is Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Electric Boat, or the more than one hundred suppliers scattered across our state, Connecticut workers will continue to power our armed forces with cutting-edge technology and equipment.”
Pratt & Whitney said it has delivered “more than 1,300 F135 production engines to a global enterprise that includes 20 allied nations. Looking ahead, the F135 Engine Core Upgrade will leverage this sustainment network, providing F-35 partner nations with a proven, cost-effective infrastructure that enhances readiness and ensures seamless support across the fleet for decades to come.”
The company said that, to ensure “F-35 mission readiness, the F135 sustainment network supports an expansive infrastructure, including multiple global depot facilities, 39 bases and 12 ships worldwide. By leveraging its globally distributed maintenance, logistics and technical expertise, Pratt & Whitney is advancing the F135 enterprise to deliver greater agility, resilience and support wherever the F-35 operates.”