Pratt & Whitney is seeing significant interest among international customers for its planned F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) programme.
“It’s the necessary upgrade to the engine that matches upgrades that have taken place with the aircraft and the airframe,” says Steve Shepro, vice-president of Integrated Customer Solutions Military Engines at P&W.
Shepro observes that the aircraft’s sensors and weapons have progressed rapidly, creating a greater need for electrical power. This increasing need for electrical power places greater strain on the engine, resulting in the need for more frequent overhauls.
The engine is the exclusive powerplant for the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter, a key type for the US military that is also used by Asia-Pacific allies such as Australia, Japan and South Korea.
“The first thing the ECU does is really restore the full life of the engine,” says Shepro, who spoke with FlightGlobal at the Avalon air show near Melbourne.
“It’s a good engine and so robust that you can run it hotter and hotter with each aircraft upgraded, but what that does of course is cut into your life cycle,” he notes. “This [upgrade] restores that life cycle and adds increased thrust.”
The US military is enthusiastic about the programme, as are international customers, says Shepro. The alternative to the upgrade would be a completely new engine, which would be cost prohibitive. Rival GE Aerospace unsuccessfully pushed for the Pentagon to dump the F135 and field a new adaptive cycle powerplant for the F-35.
In September 2024, P&W received a $1.3 billion contract from the US Department of Defense to continue development work on the ECU. The company has previously said it is targeting a service entry date of 2029 for the improved engine core, which is compatible will all three F-35 variants.
Shepro also touched on increasing interest of the US military to provide maintenance for equipment, such as aircraft, closer to areas where there is potential for conflict. In the event of a conflict in the Asia-Pacific, for example, it may be impractical to return aircraft all the way to the USA for servicing.
Shepro observes that a good deal of work for the F-35 already takes place in the region. Australia and Japan have F-35 depots, and South Korea aims to develop one.
“What’s important is that Australia has a regional MRO capability, so they can also work with international partners in the region,” says Shepro.
“It just depends on what kinds of work is needed, depending on where work is done. Some depot work is back in the states, some could be done locally.”
Australia operates a fleet of 72 conventional take-off and landing F-35As.
