Pratt & Whitney handed over the 507th and final F-119 production engine for the F-22 to the Air Force in a ceremony Thursday at the company’s production facility in Middletown, Conn. “This is a bittersweet occasion for those of us who have played a part in 12 years of successful production deliveries,” said Bennett Croswell, the company’s president of military engines, at the ceremony, according to the company’s Jan. 17 release. “The F119 production engine program might be ending but we look forward to a 30- to 40-year sustainment period in partnership with the Air Force to keep the fleet flying,” he added. Two F119s power each F-22. Pratt & Whitney delivered the first F-119 to the Air Force in December 2000, and announced the delivery of the 500th F119 last September. Pratt & Whitney has partnered with the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB, Okla., to manage scheduled F119 overhauls. The F119 is the forefather of the F-35 strike fighter’s F135 propulsion system. Due to a lull between the end of F-119 production and the transition to full-up F135 manufacture, the company is shedding some 350 employees, reported the Hartford Courant.
Top Lawmakers Want 15 Percent Pay Raise for Enlisted Troops
April 19, 2024
A new law introduced by Congress would raise the pay rate 15 percent for junior enlisted troops and seek improvements on a range of quality of life issues, such as pay and compensation, child care, housing, health care access, and military spouse employment.