Pratt & Whitney, KMWE sign long-term agreement for F135 engine

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Pratt & Whitney has contracted DutchAero subsidiary KMWE to manufacture F135 engine components to support the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

Under the 10-year long-term procurement agreement, Netherlands-based KMWE will supply parts for the F135, the engine that powers the Lockheed Martin-built F-35.

"This award reaffirms Pratt & Whitney's commitment to F135 engine industrial participation in the Netherlands," Pratt & Whitney Military Engines Business Development and International programs vice president Cliff Stone said in a statement.

As part of the agreement, KMWE says it will aim to cut the costs of the F-35's propulsion system.

"We are delighted to have earned the trust of Pratt & Whitney to manufacture and deliver these key components for the F135 engine," KMWE CEO Edward Voncken said.

The Netherlands is one of the nine original partner nations for the F-35 program. The Dutch Parliament voted to approve an order for eight F-35A variants in March 2015, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2019. Two Dutch F-35's are currently in Operational Testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.