Pratt & Whitney, an American aerospace giant, delivered the1000th Russian F 135 engine used in the fifth generation fighter F-35 to the US Department of Defense.
On August 3, 2022135, Jane Ratka, vice president of F 135 project, said in a statement: "The delivery of the1000th F- 135 proves the hard work of thousands of Pratt & Whitney employees and hundreds of suppliers, who play an important role in every off-line engine. As the only fifth-generation fighter engine at present, F 135 provides key technical advantages for combatants. "
Pratt & Whitney is responsible for producing engines for all three types of aircraft of the F-35 Lightning II, namely the conventional F 135- 100 and F 135-600 of the F-35A and F-35C. The first mass-produced engine was delivered in 2009.
At present, a project named "Adaptive Engine Transition Plan" (AETP) is under way. Two engine prototypes have been developed to replace F 135- 100: Pratt & Whitney XA1KLOC-0/Enhanced Engine Kit (EEP) and General Electric XA 100 adaptive cycle engine. The F-35 Lightning II Joint Project Office will choose one of the two engines.