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Italian Air Force program to lease 34 Pratt-powered F-16 fighters

Contact:
Pratt & Whitney Public Relations
(860)-565-9600

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., March 26, 2001 -- Pratt & Whitney is participating in the Italian Air Force program to lease 34 Pratt-powered F-16 fighters currently in the U.S. Air Force inventory.

Italy will add 30 refurbished single-seat F-16A air defense fighters and four two-seat F-16B training aircraft to its fleet beginning in 2003. The initial lease is for a five-year period with the option for an additional five years.

Pratt & Whitney will play a key role in the program by upgrading the airplane's current F100-PW-200 engines to the PW-220E enhanced performance configuration. In addition, Pratt & Whitney will provide a full Customer Logistics Support Program to take care of the engines once they enter service in Italy. The long-term agreement has a potential value of approximately $140 million to Pratt & Whitney.

"The refurbished F-16 with its enhanced F100 engine is a very potent combat aircraft and one that is attractive to air forces needing an immediate augmentation of their force structure at an affordable cost," said Reggie Landrum, head of Pratt & Whitney's international military engine programs. "There are now six countries that have either bought or leased upgraded F-16s from the United States. This is a strategic fit for Italy because they will become the eighth NATO air force to fly the F-16." The Pratt & Whitney F100 family of engines revolutionized fighter aircraft propulsion when it was introduced in the early 1970s. It powers the majority of F-16s in service around the world and is the sole power plant used on the F-15 fighter. Pratt & Whitney has built over 6,500 F100s. Numerous enhancements have been made to the engine since its introduction in terms of endurance, reliability and performance. From its original 24,000-pound thrust class rating the F100 has matured into an engine that can produce in excess of 32,000 pounds of thrust and remains a standard for fighter engine performance.

Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company, is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines; space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.

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