United Technologies has been awarded a $55.6m contract for F135 long lead items to support the production delivery schedule, exercises an option for additional initial spare parts, and provides program administrative labor for the global spares pool.
According to a contract notice, work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (67 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (26.5 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (6.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps); non-U.S. DoD participant and FMS funds in the amount of $55,675,476 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
“This effort combines purchases for the Navy ($4,161,749; 7.5 percent); Air Force ($3,116,792; 5.6 percent); Marine Corps ($556,570; 1.0 percent); non-U.S. DoD participants ($24,899,106; 44.7 percent); and FMS Customers ($22,941,259; 41.2 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.”
Earlier in the year, Pratt & Whitney also secured a three-year, $201.9M contract modification to obtain long lead parts and materials needed to produce lot 14 propulsion systems for the F-35 aircraft.
Given that the F-35 is due to be in service for the next 30 odd years will we see new and more powerful or efficient engines produced or would that not be cost effective?
When was the development finished on the engine they use now?
I imagine there might be some form of engine upgrade path but it will not be totally new engines it will be small improvements on the current engine.
Lee1 is right. Several growth options for the engines already available. Both giving increases in power and fuel economy. New engines not an option really.
As it was with the harriers any engine improvements will probably be offset by payload weight increases.
Just the post I needed to remind all you readers about the F136 engine. Thats the engine build by RR (40%) that was defunded by the US Congress after being dumped by the Pentagon. Being that a foreign company (RR) was involved in the entire process to build the F136 and take sales away from the now United Tech. engine the Americans wanted it off the program, along with the alternative helmet. So as far as trade and business goes there is no and has never been a special relationship, and any trade “deal” with Trump will follow the same one sided approach. The UK should argue that the large and lucrative Turkish based F35 facilities now be transferred to the UK.
RR is a global company. 40% Was RR Bristol UK & RR Indianapolis USA. I think RR UK build all the lift systems for the F35B which is looking to be much more of a success than originally envisaged with many nations interested. Having said that I too would have liked to see the F136 in production.
I don’t think the F136 engines future is done yet. Quite likely to see it manifest into a 6th generation prototype. It is in many ways a superior engine to the F135 which much greater growth potential. All that work is not lost and plans may well be afoot for it yet.
Would it be possible to mate the F35-B with the F136 engine, if so what would be the advantage.
Could the UK then go it alone like they did with the Phantom when they used RR Spey engines?
If the RR Spey conversion used in the Phantoms was any guide I would have said no – but not knowing enough about the F136 Engine I would expect it in the least to be a straight swap vs the F135 without any structural modifications.
Never going to happen I’m afraid. Would require several billion to finish, certify and get type approval. Thats before any production begins. Add onto that the spares and service inventory requirements, training and support you’re talking major money. In any case I believe the DOD hold the rights to the engine so it isn’t just a simple UK/decision. To get the F136 fitted to UK aircraft simply isn’t going to happen. Even if it was remotely possible at a cost equivalent to 50+ F35b aircraft would you think it worthwhile?…For a marginally improved engine and a 40% RR share of 100+ engines.
Like I said think if the F136 has a future it will be as a base for a protype engine for the next generation US (6th) fighter aircraft. Even use in the Tempest programme remains unlikely as the US goverment hold the rights I believe. Not directly suitable for Tempest but could be a good starting point.
Trade deals are like any other contract. Each side has to benefit in some way otherwise why sign up for a deal which has no benefits for you?
It’s a question of give and take negotiating, not unconditional surrender (unless of course you’re called Theresa May..).
I suspect the Trump administration will given the U.K. a good deal simply to annoy and undermine the EU’s collective approach. After China the EU is Trump’s next target for trade sanctions.
As for hosting the engine repair facility instead of Turkey, I suspect Japan new has a strong case given they have overtaken the U.K. as being the largest foreign buyer of F35s. But the U.K. certainly has a stronger case than every other country.
Japan might be a contender but the UK remains the only Tier 1 partner in the F35 project.
Yes we’ve been Tier 1 since the start, but Turkey still got it anyway in the first place.
Location could benefit us though, there’s probably going to be far more F35s operating in Europe than in the Far East, so it would make sense to locate the facility here.
And maybe we can seal the deal by promising not to use Huawei for 5G…
Yep,id go with that too !.
“Axing The F-35’s Alternative Engine Was An Incredibly Stupid Move”
https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/axing-f-35s-alternative-engine-was-an-incredibly-stupid-1601589678
2014 from a bad source