Pratt & Whitney Awarded First Production Contract for F135 Engines

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, was awarded a $69.3 million production contract for F135 engines to power the F-35 Lightning II. The F135 engine low rate initial production contract will support two conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35 production aircraft. Engine deliveries are scheduled to begin in June 2009.

"This award marks the transition from development to production of the F135 CTOL engines, and is the next major step toward making the F-35 available to our customers," said Bill Gostic, vice president, Pratt & Whitney F135 engine program. "The first F135-powered F-35 aircraft is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Air Force's Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in 2010."

Pratt & Whitney's F135 recently exceeded 8,400 system development and demonstration ground test hours, reflecting the F135's maturity and reliability. The F135 powered the F-35 Lightning II's first flight on December 15, 2006, and continues to power the flight test program with 19 flight tests to date. The technologically advanced F135 is an evolution of the highly successful F119 engine for the F-22 Raptor. By the time the F-35 enters operation in 2013, the F119 engines will have logged more than 584,000 flying hours and the F135 will have logged more than 16,000 flying hours.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

    Stephanie Duvall                    Jennifer Whitlow
    Pratt & Whitney Military Engines    Pratt & Whitney
    860.557.1382                        860.565.9600
    stephanie.duvall@pw.utc.com         jennifer.whitlow@pw.utc.com