Pratt & Whitney-Supplier Partnership Vital to 'World's Most Awesome Engine'

Even those making a small part for the F119 engine which powers the F-22 fighter should realize that each component is essential to the success of "the world's most awesome engine in the world's most awesome aircraft."

That was a key message from Col. Anthony Genatempo, who heads the Air Force's F-22 System Program Office, at a recent Pratt & Whitney supplier forum.

"We have to start thinking of the F-22 fighter as a national strategic asset and not just another fighter aircraft," Col. Genatempo said. He asserted that the F-22 fighter is the first aircraft to be considered a national strategic asset, along with nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers, which can affect the international balance of power. "The F-22 fighter is going places we don't want to send other aircraft," he said.

"We need your help," he told the suppliers, "to ensure there are sufficient parts to sustain the Raptor over the next 30 years or more during a multi-billion-dollar modernization program. We need to modernize and sustain the Raptor's unrivaled combat advantage with parts that are on-time, on-cost and affordable."

The guest speaker from the Air Force shared the lectern with six Pratt & Whitney leaders who provided updates on the F119 engine program and emphasized the importance of quality, ethics and international trade compliance in the suppliers' operations. Attending were more than 80 representatives from about 50 large and small suppliers from across the United States and abroad.

Bennett Croswell, president, Military Engines, underlined the strategic mission of the Raptor, which first flew in combat in 2014. "When we need to project power, the F-22 fighter is used," he said, emphasizing the vital role of Pratt & Whitney and its suppliers in supporting the security of the United States and its allies.

"Now we face a daunting and unprecedented challenge in supporting a significant volume of overhauls," he said. "We will overhaul 64 engines next year. That volume exceeds the peak output when the F119 was in production. This team produced the greatest fighter engine the world has ever seen, and now we must maintain the greatest fighter engine ever seen."

Sergio Loureiro, vice president, Manufacturing and Module Center Operations, led off the program by outlining United Technologies' balanced portfolio between commercial and aerospace businesses. And he commented on Pratt & Whitney's "very healthy position" in the industry. "Never before have we had such a variety of products," he said.

Pratt & Whitney is hiring hundreds of people to keep up with the demand for its engines, Loureiro said, and he urged the suppliers to invest in developing the talent they will need to maintain production momentum over the long term. He said $23 billion in long-term agreements with suppliers would allow them to invest in people and facilities in the years ahead.

"We expect perfect quality and 100 percent on-time delivery," he said. "Our focus must be on meeting our commitments to our customers."

Other speakers included Graham Morast, senior director, Program Quality; Mike Camilleri, senior director, Global Ethics and Compliance; and Jennifer Quinn, senior manager, International Trade Compliance, Operations.

Anna Patrizzi, director, Supply Management, concluded the main session by highlighting several key points from the presentations and emphasizing the importance of suppliers by pointing out that they are producing more than 80 percent of the parts for the F119 engine, which sets the stage for the world's expectations of the F135 engine. After the main program concluded, selected suppliers remained to focus on targeted issues during a series of executive management meetings.