Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engine for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter has amassed more than 6,000 hours of testing system development and demonstration ground testing, in addition to the more than 3,600 hours logged during the concept demonstration phase of the F-35, according to a company press release. P&W, which recently supervised a full after-burner test, says the engine is ready for F-35 taxi testing slated for later this fall.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.