Defense
Nearly All the F-35 Jet Engines Ordered Last Year Arrived Late
- Pentagon says 128 of 150 engines missed monthly target dates
- Some improvements seen as Pratt & Whitney increased deliveries
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Nearly all the engines ordered for the next-generation F-35 jet were delivered late last year as the Pratt & Whitney unit of United Technologies Corp. struggled to solve nagging difficulties with parts and suppliers, according to the Pentagon.
About 85% of the engines for the stealthy fighter were delivered late in 2019, the Defense Department’s F-35 program office reported, adding that Pratt & Whitney did manage to deliver more engines than required. The tardiness figure was in line with data from 2018, but up from 48% and 58% in 2016 and 2017, respectively.