RTX's Pratt & Whitney Completes F135 Engine Core Upgrade Risk Reduction Design Review

08:11 AM EDT, 09/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- RTX's (RTX) Pratt & Whitney said Tuesday it completed the risk reduction design review for its F135 Engine Core Upgrade program, confirming the design is ready to move toward production. The company said the review assessed the design elements, propulsion technologies, aircraft integration, and risk-reduction activities, as well as the industrial base's readiness to support production and retrofit. The upgrade is intended to provide more power and thermal management capacity for advanced sensors, weapons and other future capabilities on all three F-35 variants, the company said. Pratt & Whitney said the program remains on track, with the ECU to be incorporated at production or retrofitted at F135 depot facilities.