Pratt & Whitney Awarded Production Contract for F135 Engines

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, was awarded a $60 million production contract for F135 engines to power the F-35 Lightning II. This contract is for long lead-time material covering sixteen F135 engines supporting twelve production F-35 aircraft for Low Rate Initial Production 2 (LRIP 2). LRIP 2 includes six conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) engines, six short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) propulsion systems and two spares per variant.

"We are excited to continue production of CTOL engines and enter into production of the STOVL propulsion system," said Bill Gostic, vice president, Pratt & Whitney F135 engine program. "This contract will allow us to provide LRIP 2 engines to support the F-35 schedule."

This contract is one of a series of milestones for the F135 propulsion system. Pratt & Whitney's F135 recently exceeded 8,300 system development and demonstration (SDD) ground test hours. The 8,300 SDD hours are in addition to the more than 3,600 hours accumulated during the concept demonstration phase of the F-35 program, reflecting the F135's maturity and reliability. The F135 powered the F-35 Lightning II's first flight in December 2006, and continues to power the flight test program with 19 flight tests to date.

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.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in the Lightning II funding related to the F-35 aircraft and F135 engines, changes in government procurement priorities and practices or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corporation's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

     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