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Pratt & Whitney Successfully Achieves Milestone: Critical Design Review of the F135 Propulsion System for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., June 16, 2003 -- Pratt & Whitney (P&W), along with teammates Rolls-Royce and Hamilton Sundstrand, successfully conducted the Critical Design Review (CDR) for its F135 propulsion system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) last month. The CDR reviews demonstrated that the F135 is meeting or exceeding requirements as specified in its System Development and Demonstration (SDD) program.

CDR is a major program milestone in which the government and contractors review the entire F135 propulsion system. For the F135, it capped an intensive seven-month process, including over 100 part-level reviews and 28 module and functional area reviews. These reviews allow the JSF community to assess progress toward the planned capability and performance requirements of the F135. Areas reviewed include weight, affordability, performance, single engine safety, reliability, and maintainability.

Completion of CDR establishes the production configuration of the F135, and clears the way for the first engines to be tested over the next several months. The conventional takeoff and landing/carrier variant (CTOL/CV) engine is on schedule to be tested in the 4th quarter of 2003, and the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) system begins testing in the 2nd quarter of 2004. Flight testing in the F-35 is scheduled to begin in 2005, with the first production configuration F135s due to begin delivery in 2007.

"Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system team has made tremendous progress in only 18 months of development," said Major General Jack Hudson, Program Executive Officer and Program Director, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. "The team is under its not-to-exceed weight target, and is meeting its very aggressive affordability goals."

"The results of CDR have shown the F135 design has matured significantly since the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) milestone in May 2002," said Tom Farmer, vice president of F135 engine programs at P&W. "Together with our teammates at Rolls-Royce and Hamilton Sundstrand, we look forward to bringing our first production configuration engine to test this fall."

The F135 propulsion system team consists of Pratt & Whitney, the prime contractor with responsibility for the main engine and system integration; Rolls-Royce, providing the LiftFanTM, 3 bearing swivel module and roll posts to the STOVL F-35B; and Hamilton Sundstrand, provider of the F135’s control system, external accessories and gearbox. The F135 is an evolution of the F119 engine powering the F/A-22 Raptor.

It will power all versions of the F-35 – CTOL, CV, and STOVL. Among the aircraft the F-35 will replace are the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 and United Kingdom’s Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier.

Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) 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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