Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce Congratulate U.S. Marine Corps on F-35 Milestone

Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce congratulate the U.S. Marine Corps on achieving initial operational capability (IOC) for the F-35B Lightning II. Two years ago, the Corps set an ambitious objective to achieve IOC in July of 2015. That goal became a rallying point for the propulsion team and the entire F-35 enterprise. And now, thanks to the unyielding commitment and leadership of the Marines, that objective has been achieved.

As the first service to achieve this milestone with the F-35, the Marines now operate an aircraft with the most advanced combat capability in the world. The flexibility of the short takeoff and vertical lift F135 propulsion system allows the Marines to base operations from even the most austere of environments, enabling a revolutionary capability for the integrated Marine Air Ground Task Force to carry out their vital mission – anytime, anywhere.

The Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce propulsion team are proud to have supported the Joint Program Office and Marines on their journey to this historic accomplishment. We've partnered with you from the initial design of the propulsion system, to several successful ship trials, and through hundreds of vertical landings in between, and we will stand beside the Corps as you continue to prove the indispensability of the F-35B to our nation and our allies' security.