The Engines For The F-35 Fighter Ares Still Having Problems

The Pratt & Whitney engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is undergoing full power testing in West Palm Beach, Fla. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor. Pratt & Whitney

Bloomberg: United Technologies' F-35 Engines Found to Have Recurring Flaws

* `Suspect hardware' had to be removed from fleet, Pentagon says
* Pratt & Whitney unit acts to `improve quality surveillance'

United Technologies Corp.’s performance building engines for the F-35 fighter has been beset by “recurring manufacturing quality issues,” according to the Defense Department’s annual report on its costliest weapons program.

The contractor’s Pratt & Whitney military aircraft unit met the goal for delivering engines last year, but quality deficiencies in “turbine blades and electronic control systems resulted in maintenance activity to remove suspect hardware from the operational fleet,” according to the latest Selected Acquisition Report sent to Congress and obtained by Bloomberg News.

Pratt & Whitney “has taken action to improve quality surveillance within their manufacturing processes,” and manufacturing quality experts at the Defense Department have worked to ensure improvements are in place as production of the single-engine aircraft accelerates, according to the report prepared by Pentagon acquisition officials with help from the F-35 program office.

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Update #1: The F-35 Engine Still Has ‘Recurring Quality Issues’ -- The Fiscal Times
Update #2: GAO: F-35 engine ‘not performing at expected levels’ -- CT Mirror

WNU Editor: I have been posting news stories on the F-35's engine and its problems for years .... U.S. Congressional Auditors Bombshell: F-35 Engines Are 'Unreliable'
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