Engines
P&W Outlines New Plan for F-35 Engine Upgrades
The company’s Growth Option 2.0 program now focuses on near-term upgrades rather than long-term development of an all-new engine.
F-135 engines on the Pratt & Whitney production line. (Photo: P&W)
F-135 engines on the Pratt & Whitney production line. (Photo: P&W)

Pratt & Whitney has changed its proposed upgrade path for the F135 engine powering the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. It is now offering two stages of improvements over a four-year period, compared with the three-stage, 10-year plan ending with a completely new engine that it revealed a year ago. The stages are labeled Growth Option 1.0 and 2.0 and include greater thrust, lower fuel burn, and better thermal management.


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