Pratt & Whitney Moves Ahead on F-35 ECU Program Written 14 July 2023
_Lockheed_Martin_F-35A_Lightning_II_display_at_the_2019_Australian_International_Airshow_(IMG_3022).jpg "F35A-Engine-Burn-2019")
An F-35A demonstration flight at the 2019 Australian International Airshow in Avalon, Victoria | Credit: Bidgee; Wikipedia; CC BY-SA 3.0
Aviation Week reports that Pratt & Whitney now “has 400 engineers working on a major upgrade for the F135 engine that powers the Lockheed Martin F-35, as the company waits for congressional approval of the formal program go-ahead in fiscal 2024.” The team assigned “to the Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) program has been funded with previous congressional add-ons to the fiscal 2023 budget that now total $180 million in awarded contracts, including a $66 million award announced on July 11, says Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt’s military engines business.” The awards are funding work “on early architecture studies and engineering preparation for the preliminary design review, Albertelli said.” Both efforts have been “launched as Congress considers the Pentagon’s request to launch full development of the ECU program in fiscal 2024.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)