Pratt & Whitney, Netherlands Ministry of Defense Sign F135 Depot Activation Contract

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Sep 21, 2015, 09:00 ET

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, has signed a depot activation contract with the Netherlands Ministry of Defense (MOD) to establish a Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul, & Upgrade (MRO&U) capability for the F135 engine which powers the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft.

This initial contract will include planning and management activities required for MRO&U activation in 2019. Follow-on contracts with P&W and the F-35 Joint Program Office are expected in support of the establishment of F135 depot capabilities, including, but not limited to, assembly, disassembly, cleaning, inspection and testing at the Logistics Center Woensdrecht. This past December, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) assigned the Netherlands as one of the European countries where the maintenance of the F135 engines will be carried out.

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Netherlands MOD for depot activation support for the F135 engine," said Bennett Croswell, president, Pratt & Whitney Military Engines. "As we prepare for an increase in F135 engine production, we need partners who demonstrate the high levels of technical capabilities that are required to support the F135 internationally. The Netherlands MOD's participation in MRO&U will ensure we have robust sustainment capability in the European region."

Air Commodore Mario Verbeek, Commander of the Logistics Center Woensdrecht, welcomes the contract and looks forward to seeing the depot taking form in the years to come.

"After the Netherlands engine MRO&U assigned by the US DoD, the MRO&U standup contract is the next important step towards the Netherlands' goal to provide Pratt & Whitney and the F-35 operators with world class F135 MRO&U services by the end of 2019."

As one of the original nine partner nations for the F-35, the Netherlands is a key contributor to the development, production, and sustainment of the F-35 program. The current program of record for the Netherlands is for the procurement of at least 37 F-35A aircraft. The Dutch Parliament approved an order for eight Lockheed Martin F-35As in March 2015, confirming the aircraft as the official replacement for the F-16s currently in use by the Royal Netherlands Air Force. This lot of eight F-35s is scheduled for delivery in 2019.

About Logistics Center Woensdrecht

Logistics Center Woensdrecht is responsible for the maintenance, logistics and program management of (weapon) systems for the Dutch Armed Forces. Systems include F-16 fighters, PC-7 training aircraft, Chinook, Apache, Cougar and NH90 helicopters, parts of aircraft (engines and electronics), communications systems (radio, satellite connections and radar equipment) as well as air traffic control equipment. For more information about the Netherlands MOD, visit https://www.defensie.nl/English.

About Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit its website at www.utc.com, or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in government procurement priorities and practices, budget plans and availability of funding, and in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

For more information about Pratt & Whitney, visit http://www.pratt-whitney.com

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