Engines
Pratt & Whitney Wages 'War on Cost' to Lower F135 Price
Pratt & Whitney said it has reduced the cost of the F135 turbofan by 55 percent since the sixth flight-test engine.
A Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan, the engine used in the F-35 Lightning II, is mounted on a test stand. (Photo: Pratt & Whitney)
A Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan, the engine used in the F-35 Lightning II, is mounted on a test stand. (Photo: Pratt & Whitney)

While F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin touts the “blueprint for affordability” that since last year has helped it shave costs from its manufacturing processes, engine supplier Pratt & Whitney has waged its own “war on cost” since 2009. From the time it built the sixth flight-test engine to those it is producing today, the engine manufacturer claims to have reduced the cost of the F135 turbofan by 55 percent.