RTX secures $1.4B titanium forging deal for F-35 engine program
The five-year contract with a consortium of US forging houses locks in supply for Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine through the mid-2030s.
RTX confirmed a five-year, $1.4 billion agreement to source titanium structural forgings for Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine, the sole propulsion source for the F-35. The deal is distributed across three US-based forging houses and was written to explicitly exclude foreign sub-tier supply.
Pratt has been publicly nervous about titanium forging capacity since 2023, when Rolls-Royce's Tilbrook announcement forced a broader industry reckoning on how much structural forging the Western aerospace base can actually deliver. The new RTX contract includes volume commitments that the forging suppliers said will underwrite roughly $220 million of plant investment through 2028.
Pentagon acquisition officials welcomed the arrangement, framing it as a signal to private forging houses that long-dated offtake is available for the right investments. RTX declined to name the three suppliers, citing commercial sensitivity.
Written by
Dana Whitfield
Aerospace and defense supply chain reporter. Previously at Aviation Week Network.
Keep reading
Related coverage
Scot Forge expands open-die capacity in Spring Grove with new 5,000-ton press
The employee-owned forge will add its largest press to date at the Illinois campus, extending reach into larger shafts for the power and defense markets.
Precision Castparts posts double-digit growth as aerospace investment casting rebounds
Parent Berkshire Hathaway highlighted PCC in its latest shareholder letter, noting the unit now ships more titanium structural castings than at any point since 2019.
Boeing signals tier-1 consolidation as 737 MAX rate climb strains supply base
The airframer's purchasing chief said publicly that the supply base should expect fewer, larger tier-1 relationships as Boeing pushes toward 57 MAX aircraft per month.