Larson Attends F-35 Lightning II Model Dedication

EAST HARTFORD -- Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) participated in a ceremony this afternoon at Pratt & Whitney dedicating a new model depicting the three variants of the F-35 Lightning II jet.

Earlier this year Congressman Larson and the Connecticut delegation led a bipartisan effort to prevent additional government funding from being spent on an "alternate engine," ensuring that Pratt & Whitney's F-135 engine would be the sole propulsion system powering the F-35.

"The fight to end the costly and wasteful F-136 alternate engine wouldn't have been successful were it not for the fantastic work being done by the men and women of Pratt & Whitney," Congressman Larson said. "Their dedication to building a top of the line engine provided the Armed Forces and the Congress, including many new Republican Members, the confidence to eliminate the "alternate engine," saving the nation more than $3 billion. I congratulate the men and women of Pratt & Whitney and look forward to continuing to do all that I can in Washington to ‘Keep the Eagle Flying.'"

The newly-dedicated model depicts the F-35 "A," "B" and "C" variants used by the Navy, Marines and Air Force respectively. The "B" aircraft, used by the Marines, has the ability to take off vertically, bypassing the need for a runway.