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Air Force

GAO Raises Questions on Engine Upgrade for F-35

Frank Wolfe

Wednesday, March 29th, 2023

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GAO Raises Questions on Engine Upgrade for F-35

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson AFB, Alaska, lands at Kadena Air Base, Japan on March 28 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is raising questions about an envisioned power and thermal management system (PTMS) upgrade for the Raytheon Technologies' [RTX] Pratt & Whitney F135 engine on the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 fighter. The Air Force decided to move forward on an Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) for the F135 and included $245 million for ECU in the service's fiscal 2024 budget request, which ends the service’s Advanced Engine Transition Program (AETP) for the F-35 (Defense Daily, March 13).…

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