Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, continues to receive positive support for various F135-related programme items on the path toward finalising the 2024 appropriations bill.

In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by chairman Jon Tester and ranking member Susan Collins, passed a bipartisan bill that included:

• $497m for the development of the F135 engine core upgrade (ECU), the DoD's chosen F-35 engine modernisation effort
• $264m above the president's budget request for F135 engine spares and repair parts
• A prohibition against integrating any alternate engine on any F-35 variant
• $280m for the development of future engine technology that could be used on sixth generation tactical aircraft

"I want to personally thank Senators Tester and Collins for their leadership on this effort, because it's essential to ensuring our limited DoD funds go to the most urgent, high-priority needs," said Jeff Shockey, senior vice president of RTX global government relations. "I also want to express my gratitude to the Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and the entire Connecticut and Maine delegations for their support and advocacy."

The F135 supports nearly 55,000 jobs across 41 states in the US and more than 260 domestic suppliers. In March 2023, the US Air Force, US Marine Corps, and US Navy chose to upgrade the F135 versus replace it with an entirely new engine.

"The Senate Appropriations Committee's full funding of the Engine Core Upgrade programme, its addition of $280m for future-generation propulsion technologies, and language prohibiting integration of an alternate engine on any F-35 variant are critically important," said Jill Albertelli, president of military engines at Pratt & Whitney. "Our collective focus should be on maximising the performance of all three variants of the F-35, while prioritising the advancement of sixth-generation solutions that serve our highest, most urgent national defence priorities."

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