Power, innovation and dependability are at the core of the F135, more than 1,300 of which currently power all three variants of the global F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft fleet, which recently surpassed one million engine flight hours.
The F135’s 5th Generation propulsion capabilities provide the warfighters of today and tomorrow the technological edge to fight and win.
How the world’s most powerful fighter jet engine is made
Defined by capability
With more than 40,000 lbs. of thrust, unmatched low-observable signature, world-class thermal management, and the most advanced integrated engine control system ever created, the F135 engine is the heartbeat of the F-35.
Not only is the F135 the most powerful and most advanced fighter engine ever produced, it’s also the most dependable – demonstrating a step change in readiness and reliability over 4th generation fighter engines.
The F135 delivers unrivaled performance to the warfighter, enabling operations in the most advanced threat environments and redefining what’s possible for our customers and their missions.
Delivering superior operational value, defined by its:
The F135 truly separates itself from 4th generation engines with a range of 5th Generation engine attributes that include substantially increased power and thermal management, engine-flight control integration, and signature management. The capabilities of the F135 provide the warfighter with a critical advantage over adversaries and enables the F-35 to conduct operations in advanced anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments, a core element of the National Defense Strategy.
With its advanced damage tolerant design and fully integrated prognostic health monitoring, the F135 has demonstrated exceptional mission capability rates since its first flight in 2006. The F135 is the most reliable fighter engine we’ve ever built, providing warfighters the assurance that it will be ready to meet mission demands.
The F135 was designed for ease of maintenance and affordable sustainment. The F135’s tri-variant commonality, advanced digital health management system, and global sustainment structure – including a shared parts pool & regionalized MRO&U network – provides fleet operators ease of maintenance at reduced operating costs.
Leveraging significant U.S. Government and P&W investment in next generation propulsion technologies, P&W developed the F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) which offers increased thrust, fuel efficiency, as well as thermal management capacity for all F-35 variants. ECU is the lowest risk and most cost-effective modernization solution for the F-35 that can enable full Block 4 capability for the warfighter and reduce billions in sustainment costs for the taxpayer.
We’re committed to the effective stewardship of taxpayer resources and continue to work tirelessly to drive down costs across the program. Having reduced the average production cost of an F135 engine by more than 50%, we are now targeting a similar level of reduction in cost per flight hour. We are doing this through component improvements such as life extensions and limits expansion, new repair processes, spare part cost reduction, and digital technologies.