Aviation Engines, Propulsion & Auxiliary Power Units

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - Pratt & Whitney has completed the F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) Risk Reduction Design Review (RRDR), validating the maturity of the ECU design and advancing the program toward production.

The review evaluated the detailed design elements, propulsion technologies, integration considerations and risk-reduction activities critical to delivering full engine life and providing the additional power and thermal management capacity needed to support advanced sensors, weapons and other Block 4 and beyond capabilities across all three F-35 Lightning II variants. The review further assessed the industrial base's readiness to support future production and retrofit.

The risk reduction work, supported by the contract awarded in 2024, focuses on design maturation, aircraft integration, test preparation, supply-base readiness and related engineering activities.

Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 1,500 F135 production engines to a worldwide customer base spanning 20 allied nations. The F135 Engine Core Upgrade, builds on the F135 architecture, maintains high commonality and is designed as a drop-in upgrade for both new-production and fielded aircraft. The ECU will be incorporated at production or retrofitted at F135 depot facilities, supporting a common, capable fleet.

Source: RTX
Associated URL: https://www.rtx.com/news/news-center/2026/09/15/rtxs-pratt-whitney-completes-f135-engine-core-upgrade-risk-reduction-design-re

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney has licensed aircraft startup Hermeus to produce its F100 fighter jet engine, marking the first such agreement with another American company. Announced at the Air and Space Forces Association conference, the deal covers the F100-PW-229 turbofan, which powers select F-15 and F-16 variants. Pratt Military Engines President Jill Albertelli described the license as an opportunity to expand the defense industrial base to meet rising demand for current operational fleets and emerging initiatives like the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft project. The move follows an Air Force request for information seeking innovative manufacturing to ensure supply chain resiliency, with annual engine demand projected to top 180 units by fiscal year 2034.

Hermeus, which uses the F100 to power its Quarterhorse high-speed drone, will serve as a secondary manufacturing source operating as an extension of Pratt & Whitney. Hermeus CEO Zach Shore stated that the license makes the startup a vertically integrated manufacturer for Quarterhorse while positioning it to support domestic builds and potential cost efficiencies in production. Hermeus is developing the Quarterhorse to fly at speeds up to Mach 3 under a $219 million contract from the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, while also using the F100 as the foundation for Chimera, a turbine-based combined cycle engine designed for a planned Mach 5 aircraft called Darkhorse.

Source: Breaking Defense
Associated URL: https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/exclusive-pratt-licenses-hermeus-to-build-f100-fighter-jet-engine/
Author: Michael Marrow 

KIELCE, POLAND - GE Aerospace and the Military Aviation Works (Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze NR 2 S.A. or WZL-2) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities to develop maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services capabilities and depot level maintenance for the F404-GE-102 engine that powers the Polish Air Force’s KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle fighter jets. The MoU was announced at the 34th International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, Poland.

Under the MoU, GE Aerospace and WZL-2 will assess requirements necessary for F404-GE-102 engine maintenance. The Polish Air Force ordered 48 KAI FA-50 light combat aircraft in 2022. The first 12 were delivered in the FA-50GF ("Gap Filler") configuration in 2023, while the remaining 36 are to be delivered in the FA-50PL configuration. This MoU will cover all 48 F404-GE-102 engines on order as well as spare engines.

More than 4,000 F404 engines have been delivered and have accumulated more than 13 million engine flight hours, including 300 engines that power the T-50, TA-50, and FA-50 Golden Eagle produced in the Republic of Korea.

GE Aerospace’s presence in Poland spans over 30 years with more than 2,300 employees based across five locations.

Source: GE Aerospace
Associated URL: https://www.geaerospace.com/news/press-releases/ge-aerospace-and-wzl-2-sign-f404-mro-support-memorandum-understanding