RTX segment Pratt & Whitney has granted Georgia-based aerospace company Hermeus a production license to manufacture its F100-PW-229 jet engines, marking the first time a separate US firm has been licensed to build the fighter powerplant.
The agreement establishes an additional production source to scale output for the US Armed Forces and address spiking demands for platforms such as the F-15 and F-16 combat aircraft.
According to the consortium, Hermeus will assemble the engines under its rapid-build model to support both the defense industrial base and its under-development proprietary high-speed unmanned aerial system, Quarterhorse.
The engine will also support the construction of Hermeus’ Chimera hybrid propulsion system, designed to eventually power hypersonic flights.
“Meeting future operational needs requires expanding America’s capacity to build the engines our warfighters rely on,” said Zach Shore, CEO at Hermeus.
“By becoming a licensed manufacturer of the F100, Hermeus expands domestic engine capacity for the broader defense industrial base and becomes the first vertically integrated airframer with the in-house propulsion capability required to scale Quarterhorse.”
Initial F100-PW-229 manufacturing under the arrangement will occur within Hermeus’ existing plants, with full production to be initiated alongside future customer requirements.
“With more than 32 million flight hours, the F100 has earned its place as one of the world’s most trusted fighter engines,” added Jessica Villardi, vice president of Fighter and Mobility Programs at Pratt & Whitney.
“By partnering with Hermeus, we are … delivering the proven dependability that defines the F100 engine.”
