By Marina Malenic
HARTFORD, Conn.–Executives at jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney [UTX] said here last week that production of another 60 F-22 Raptor fighter jets would help keep their production facilities and work force for military engines stable until F-35 Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter production takes off.
Late last month, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said he had delivered the service’s most recent proposal for how many more F-22s should be purchased to Defense Secretary Robert Gates (Defense Daily, March 2). Schwartz has refused to divulge how many aircraft beyond the current fleet of 183 the Air Force hopes to buy. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said the new number is 60 (Defense Daily, Dec. 15, 2008).
“Sixty is a bridge–that’s a nice number to get us to the replacement rate, to get us to the Joint Strike Fighter,” said Tom Farmer, Pratt & Whitney’s president for military engines.
Company officials said that between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs with its company depend on the F119 engine work for the F-22. Much of the same work force can be transfered to production of the F135 engine that will power the F-35.
The Defense Department earlier this month asked prime contractor Lockheed Martin [LMT] to prepare proposals for additional F-22 Raptor fighter jet production in fiscal year 2010. Defense officials have asked the company for one estimate for the production of four aircraft for which advance materials have recently been procured, as well as a separate estimate for 20 new Raptors (Defense Daily, March 9). Lockheed Martin also is developing JSF.
Congress allocated $523 million in FY ’09 for advance procurement of F-22s. The FY ’09 Defense Authorization Act states that no more than $140 million of these funds should be spent until President Barack Obama certifies either continued production or termination of the F-22 production line. Lawmakers had requested that the decision be made by March 1, but the administration has since announced that its decision will be delivered to Congress along with its FY’10 budget next month.
Pratt has delivered about 370 F119 engines to Lockheed Martin, executives said.
Still, regardless of how many more F-22s the Pentagon procures, Pratt & Whitney is anticipating significant layoffs this year, said company President David Hess. Parent company United Technologies has announced plans to cut about 1,500 jobs due to difficulties in the commercial sector caused by the financial crisis. The cuts will come primarily at Pratt and another subsidiary, Hamilton Sundstrand, Hess said.