RTX’s Pratt & Whitney division has been awarded a significant $1.6 billion contract by the U.S. Navy to provide sustainment activities for the F135 propulsion systems that power the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter fleet. The contract, announced on December 1, 2025, covers a broad range of support services essential to maintaining the operational readiness and reliability of the F-35 fleet, both domestically and internationally. The scope of work includes program management, financial and administrative activities, propulsion integration, engineering and product management support, material and configuration management, software sustainment, security management, joint technical data updates, support equipment oversight, replenishment of spare parts, depot-level maintenance, and training.

The Department of Defense confirmed that the contract is an undefinitized award, issued on November 26, 2025, and will be executed through November 2026. The Naval Air Systems Command is overseeing the contract, which is structured as a cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and fixed-price-incentive-fee arrangement. The initial funding obligation exceeds $150 million, sourced from fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance funds for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and foreign military sales. Of this, $99 million is set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year, underscoring the urgency and scale of the sustainment effort.

Work will be performed at multiple locations across the United States, with East Hartford, Connecticut, handling 40 percent of the contract’s workload, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, responsible for 21 percent. Additional U.S. sites include Indiana, Florida, and Texas. International work will be conducted in Norway, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Italy, and the United Kingdom, reflecting the global nature of the F-35 program and the need for distributed sustainment capabilities. This geographic spread ensures that F-35 operators worldwide can receive timely and effective support, minimizing downtime and maximizing fleet availability.

The contract is a continuation of RTX’s long-standing relationship with the Navy and other branches of the U.S. military, as well as international partners. In recent years, Pratt & Whitney has secured several other major contracts for F135 propulsion systems, including a $2.9 billion contract modification in August 2025, a $1.3 billion contract in October 2024 for engine core upgrades, and a $221 million contract in September 2023 for sustainment support. These awards highlight the critical importance of the F135 engine to the F-35 program and the ongoing need for robust, scalable sustainment solutions.

For B2B defense industry stakeholders, this contract represents a significant opportunity for subcontractors, suppliers, and service providers involved in propulsion systems, maintenance, logistics, and training. The breadth of the work scope and the global footprint of the contract create demand for a wide range of specialized capabilities, from engineering and technical support to spare parts supply chain management and depot-level maintenance. The contract also underscores the importance of international collaboration and the need for defense contractors to maintain a global presence to support multinational programs like the F-35.

In summary, RTX’s $1.6 billion Navy contract for F135 propulsion support is a major development in the defense industry, with far-reaching implications for the sustainment of the F-35 fleet and the broader ecosystem of defense contractors and suppliers. The contract’s scale, scope, and global reach make it a key event for B2B decision-makers in the defense sector.