Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce retain JSF collaboration

Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., and Rolls-Royce plc have signed a memorandum of understanding to define their future collaboration on the F135 propulsion system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The agreement, signed at Pratt & Whitney's headquarters in East Hartford, Conn., covers work on the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the F135 through the production and sustainment phase of the JSF program.

"The Pratt & Whitney / Rolls-Royce collaboration on the F135 program has been extremely successful," said Tom Farmer, president of Military Engines for Pratt & Whitney. "Rolls-Royce brings decades of STOVL experience to this program and the performance of the lift system components on the F135 has been remarkable."

Under the agreement, Rolls-Royce will maintain its current lift system component responsibilities beyond system development and demonstration into production and sustainment. The work has the potential to bring billions of dollars in new production and spare parts sales to Rolls-Royce over the life of the program. Rolls-Royce produces the lift fan, three-bearing swivel module and roll posts as a subcontractor to Pratt & Whitney.

"I am delighted to extend the successful collaboration with Pratt & Whitney to deliver and support the lift system modules," said Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce program director, JSF F135 STOVL. "Rolls-Royce brings considerable experience in running successful sustainment contracts with customers across the world on other significant programs."

In 2001, Pratt & Whitney was awarded a 10-year, $4.8 billion contract for system development and demonstration (SDD) to develop the F135 propulsion system through flight clearance, flight test, and qualification for Low Rate Initial Production. To date, F135 ground test engines have accumulated more than 4,500 SDD test hours, and the F135 will be the exclusive power for the JSF's first flights beginning in the third quarter of 2006.

The technologically advanced F135 is an evolution of the highly successful F119 engine for the F-22A Raptor. Together, the F135 and F119 will have logged more than 1 million flight hours before the F-35's introduction into operational service in 2012.

The F135 propulsion system team consists of Pratt & Whitney, the prime contractor with responsibility for the main engine and system integration; Rolls-Royce, providing lift components for the STOVL F-35B; and Hamilton Sundstrand, provider of the F135's control system, external accessories and gearbox.

Pratt & Whitney military engine models include the F135 for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; the F119 powering the F/A-22 Raptor; the F117 for the C-17 Globemaster III; the F100 for F-15 and F-16 fighters; the J52 for the EA-6B Prowler; the TF33 powering AWACS, Joint STARS, B-52, C-141 and KC-135 aircraft; the TF30 for the F-111, the PT6 for T-6A and UH-1N aircraft; and JT15 for the T-1A trainer and Pegasus UCAV.