F-35 - Pentagon er ikke fornøyd med F135 motoren - DefenseNews

Den første norske F-35A ble levert til en italiensk vedlikeholdsavdeling 4. juli. Sjekk historien her: https://tinyurl.com/udh6rep3

The F-35 engine is at a crossroads, with billions of dollars for industry at stake

By Stephen Losey

 Jul 15, 01:00 PM

Photo by: Senior Airman Erica Webster/U.S. Air Force

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon and industry agree the F-35 engine needs improvements. But despite years of development and debate, the path forward isn’t yet clear.

With the fifth-generation fighter’s missile capacity, electronic warfare, and targeting systems advancing beyond what was originally conceived, and the U.S. Air Force concerned about the potential for war against China, the service is planning to put more power and cooling ability on the F-35.

But there remain multiple options for how to get there. One approach is making a series of upgrades to the existing Pratt & Whitney-made F135 engine currently powering the F-35 through the Enhanced Engine Program.

Another potential path is an entirely new replacement engine using cutting-edge technology such as a third stream of air to improve fuel efficiency and thrust. Pratt & Whitney and General Electric Aviation have each developed competing versions as part of the Adaptive Engine Transition Program, known as AETP.

Officials from the Air Force and Defense Department so far have not decided whether the F-35 will receive a new adaptive engine or an upgraded F135. But within the next year, the companies expect the military’s future plans to come into focus.

The military’s decision will determine the future power and propulsion capabilities of the cornerstone of the Air Force’s fighter fleet — not to mention where billions of defense dollars will ultimately go.

The companies have different views on whether an adaptive engine is right for the F-35. GE Aviation says the XA100 — its version of the adaptive engine — would dramatically improve the jet’s thrust, speed, range and heat management, giving it the ability to handle more advanced systems.

But while Pratt & Whitney stands by its work on its XA101 adaptive engine, even envisioning it will power the Air Force’s in-development Next Generation Air Dominance platform, company officials maintain it’s a mistake to put a completely new engine in a single-engine fighter.

If a new adaptive engine on the single-engine F-35 were to fail midair, Pratt & Whitney says, the plane and pilot could be put in danger. And if a problem is discovered on the ground, the company warns, that could sideline a crucial portion of the Air Force’s fighter fleet until there’s a fix, dealing a blow to combat readiness.