Pratt & Whitney has signed a production licensing agreement allowing Hermeus to manufacture F100-PW-229 fighter engines, expanding US production capacity for the established propulsion system.
Under the agreement, Hermeus will produce the engines using its rapid-build production model while following Pratt & Whitney’s requirements for quality, safety, and site activation.
“With more than 32 million flight hours, the F100 has earned its place as one of the world’s most trusted fighter engines,” said Jessica Villardi, vice president of Fighter & Mobility Programs at Pratt & Whitney. “By partnering with Hermeus, we are expanding U.S. production capacity to meet growing customer demand while delivering the proven dependability that defines the F100 engine.”
The F100 has powered US Air Force F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft for more than five decades and has accumulated more than 32 million flight hours.
The agreement establishes Hermeus as an additional qualified production source for the F100 engine in the US. It also expands the manufacturing base supporting the engine programme.
Pratt & Whitney’s F100 currently powers the Hermeus Quarterhorse aircraft, which uses the engine for its flight-test programme.
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“Meeting future operational needs requires expanding America’s capacity to build the engines our warfighters rely on,” stated Zach Shore, CEO of Hermeus. “Pratt & Whitney built the standard for fighter propulsion. By becoming a licensed manufacturer of the F100, Hermeus expands domestic engine capacity for the broader defense industrial base and becomes the first vertically integrated airframer with the in-house propulsion capability required to scale Quarterhorse.”
The production agreement adds manufacturing capacity for the F100-PW-229 while retaining Pratt & Whitney’s established quality and safety requirements for the engine.
