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Pratt & Whitney wins maintenance contract for Rolls-Royce engines on Harrier fighters

FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW 2002, July 21, 2002 -- The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded a contract to Pratt & Whitney to provide maintenance support for Rolls-Royce Pegasus F402 engines that power AV-8B Harrier fighter aircraft flown by the U.S. Marines.

The follow-on contract is for high-pressure compressor blade repairs using blendable boroscope technology that can be applied without removing the engine from the aircraft. With an average of 30 engine removals per year, NAVAIR estimates that the process could allow 83 more weeks of aircraft usage per year, potentially saving more than $10 million U.S. dollars in maintenance costs.

To repair damaged blades on a typical aircraft, the engine has to be removed from the Harrier, requiring up to 850 hours of labor and costing as much as $500,000 U.S. dollars. But the boroscope method developed by Pratt & Whitney allows repairs of this type to be completed while the engine is in the aircraft, saving time and money.

Pratt & Whitney's latest agreement with NAVAIR follows a one-year contract where Pratt & Whitney supplied these services for Harrier aircraft flown by the U.S. Marines from 2001-2002. The follow-on contract is for one year (2002-2003), with options for two additional years. If fully implemented, the agreement would be worth over $2 million U.S. dollars to Pratt & Whitney.

"We're delighted that the U.S. Navy has given Pratt & Whitney this vote of confidence following a year of successful support for Rolls-Royce engines on Harrier aircraft," said Chris Ramm, vice president, Commercial Engines Customer Service. "We are pleased that technology developed by Pratt & Whitney for engine repair on commercial airliners has been successfully adapted for use in repairing damaged military aircraft engines," he said.

The contract is for repairs to the Pegasus F402-RR-406B and F402-RR-408A engines that power the AV-8B Harrier, a V/STOL (Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing) light-attack jet aircraft. The Marine Corps uses the aircraft primarily to provide close air support for ground forces. The single-seat, advanced fighter can operate from short fields, forward sites, roads and surface ships.

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

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