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United States Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney F135
Afterburning turbofan built for all three F-35 Lightning II variants: the F135-PW-100/400 for the conventional F-35A/C, and the heavier F135-PW-600 with an integrated lift-fan module for the F-35B's short takeoff/vertical landing.
In service since 2006
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-08-10
191
kN thrust
2,913
kg
6.7
T/W
20,400,000
USD
💲 ≈ $20,400,000, Approximate average unit price from the Lot 18 production contract (141 engines, August 2025); the quoted list price for a standalone engine has been cited as high as ~$36M depending on contract structure and included sustainment.
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
In service since 2006. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The F135-PW-100/400 variant produces roughly 28,000 lbf (125 kN) dry and 43,000 lbf (191 kN) with afterburner, and shares a common core across all three F-35 variants. The F135-PW-600 used in the STOVL F-35B integrates a Rolls-Royce LiftSystem driven off the engine's low-pressure turbine, adding a 51-inch lift fan and roof-mounted swivel nozzle that make the F-35B roughly 800 lb heavier than the -100/400 variant. Sustainment and engine-core-upgrade costs for the F-35 fleet have been a recurring line item in U.S. defense budgets, with a GAO report putting lifetime fleet sustainment above $1.5 trillion through 2088.
Powers these platforms
Systems in the WeaponSpecs database that list the Pratt & Whitney F135 as their engine.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up. On a standalone engine record, this is the engine's own thrust divided by its dry weight, the standard figure of merit for jet engines. | 6.7 |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 5.59 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 1.17 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 2,913 kg |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 191 kN |
|---|---|
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Afterburning turbofan |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $20,400,000 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Pratt & Whitney and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-08-10.
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How much does the Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney F135 cost? +
The Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney F135 has an approximate unit cost of 20,400,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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