The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Pratt & Whitney (P&W) a $1.13 billion contract for F135 production engines to power the F-35 Lightning II.

Pratt & Whitney and the DoD have reached an agreement on price and terms for the LRIP 4 contract, originally awarded in July 2010, which contains fixed-price and cost-plus incentive fee elements. This low rate initial production (LRIP) contract includes production, spare parts, sustainment and delivery of the fourth lot of F135 engines.

"This contract provides our customer with a 15% savings on the conventional takeoff and landing/carrier variant (CTOL/CV), compared to LRIP 3, and demonstrates our commitment toward meeting aggressive cost reduction goals for the F135 engine," said Bennett Croswell, President of Military Engines, Pratt & Whitney. "It also speaks to the maturity of our engine, which builds on the proven technology of our F119 engine. The F135 engine has powered all 868 F-35 flights, including 100 vertical landings in the short takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) configuration."

The 4th lot of F135 engines includes 18 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) and 19 STOVL engines.

Deliveries for this lot are slated to begin in the 4th quarter of 2011. The engines delivered in LRIP 4 will support the U.S. Services, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.