Pratt & Whitney recently delivered the 500th F119 turbofan built for the F-22 Raptor fleet and is slated to wrap up production of the fifth generation powerplant by year’s end, announced the company on Sept. 25. The F119 also recently surpassed 20 years of simulated use in accelerated mission tests, states the company’s release. “Delivery of the 500th F119 engine, along with our accomplishments in AMT, provides tangible proof of the durability of this fifth generation propulsion system,” said company F119 director Cliff Stone. “We continue to demonstrate substantial life-extension capabilities and cost savings” much like the company has for F100 engines used on the F-15 and F-16, stated Stone. “The F119 AMT demonstrates our ability to deliver similar cost savings for the F-22,” added Chris Flynn, vice president of the company’s F119 and F135 engine programs. F119 engines have logged more than 230,000 operational flight hours on the F-22 fleet, according to the company.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.