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Air Force

No USAF Breakout Available of Nearly $6.7 Billion Cost Estimate for F-35A AETP Engine

Frank Wolfe

Thursday, June 30th, 2022

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No USAF Breakout Available of Nearly $6.7 Billion Cost Estimate for F-35A AETP Engine

A pilot from the 388th Fighter Wing’s 421st Fighter Squadron prepares to launch an F-35A Lightning II during night-flying operations at Hill AFB, Utah on March 26, 2019 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

The U.S. Air Force has estimated a development cost of nearly $6.7 billion for the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) to provide more range and improved thermal management/engine performance and increased weapons load for the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A, but the service has not released a breakout of such estimated costs. Pratt & Whitney [RTX] builds the F135 engine for the three versions of the F-35. The House Appropriations Committee, in a report on the committee's version of the fiscal…

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