RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney has clinched a $1.5-billion contract to sustain the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet’s engines.
Under the three-year deal, the company will work on improving the readiness and reducing the costs of more than 400 F119 engines, with over 900,000 flight hours, equipped on the service’s Raptor fleet.
“The F119’s readiness and reliability rates have never been more important, and we are improving both while lowering lifecycle costs,” company president of Military Engines Jill Albertelli said.
Lowering the associated costs with the engine’s maintenance and operation was achieved through the firm’s “Usage Based Lifing” program, which uses real-time data to improve maintenance efficiency, extend engine life, and enhance its kinematic performance with an engine control schedule update.
The F119 Engine
Each Lockheed Martin-developed F-22 Raptor is equipped with two F119 engines, which is a twin-spool, augmented turbofan engine, producing 35,000 pounds of thrust.
This enables the 62-foot-long (18.90 meters) fighter aircraft to fly above 65,000 feet (19,812 meters).
Additionally, Pratt & Whitney’s fifth-generation F119 engines power the Raptor to reportedly achieve and maintain supersonic speeds of over Mach 2 without afterburners, which conserves fuel and enhances stealth while maintaining combat efficiency.
Afterburners boost fighter jets’ thrust and maneuverability, but they consume substantial amounts of fuel that can limit military aircraft on extended missions and generate heat and noise that can compromise stealth.
