EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon Technologies business, announced plans to invest $255 million through 2028 in a world-class sustainment facility in Oklahoma City.
The new 845,000-square-foot facility will serve as a hub for depot operations for all Pratt & Whitney military engines, including those for the F-35, C-17, F-22, F-15, F-16, B-52 and E-3 AWACS. The facility will be an expansion of the company’s operations near Tinker Air Force Base.
“This is an exciting announcement for Oklahoma and our growing international dominance in the aerospace and defense industry,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt. The multimillion-dollar investment “in a world-class sustainment center helps strengthen Oklahoma’s position as the MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul] capital of the world.”
The number of jobs expected to be created was not mentioned, but the company did say new jobs “will be primarily engineering and procurement functions” and salaries for the new positions will be upwards of $80,000, dependent on skills and experience.
Pratt & Whitney has a lengthy history in Oklahoma, dating back to establishment of an Army depot for the C-47 Skytrain assembly in the 1940s. Today, the Oklahoma City site employs more than 450 full-time employees and 450 partner contractors across a number of disciplines, including engineering, data analytics, materials and logistics, quality and procurement.
The new facility – consisting of offices, meeting and collaboration spaces, a sustainment center and an onsite exercise facility – will consolidate six existing sites, bringing all disciplines into two locations: Pratt & Whitney’s Oklahoma City Sustainment Center and the Tinker AFB Air Logistics Complex.
“Pratt & Whitney’s Oklahoma City site plays a critical role in our global sustainment network,” said Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt & Whitney Military Engines. “Last year, the team achieved record output for the F117, F119 and F135 Heavy Maintenance Centers. This investment … will further expand our capabilities and reaffirm our commitment to our customer for years to come.”
Pratt & Whitney’s Oklahoma City site is part of a global sustainment network, complementing activations in Australia, Japan, Netherlands and Norway and U.S. locations in Marine Corp Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida and West Palm Beach.
As the only site capable of performing all F135 power module scope levels, the new Oklahoma City Sustainment Center facility will increase the site’s maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities as the F135 program continues to expand.
“Expanding the Oklahoma City Sustainment Center is a direct investment in improving our military’s ability to meet national security objectives,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04), whose congressional district encompasses Tinker AFB. “This facility will play a particularly important role in rapidly delivering the F135 engine core upgrade to the F-35 fleet, which is critical to ensuring all the services have the capabilities they need to fight an advancing threat starting in 2028.”
Pratt & Whitney’s Engine Core Upgrade is a block upgrade for the F135, with the objective of providing an affordable, low-risk and agile pathway to fielding meaningful propulsion capability for all F-35 customers. Engine Core Upgrade leverages Department of Defense investments in adaptive technology to deliver the advanced capability needed for Block 4 and beyond.
Activated in 2014, Pratt & Whitney’s Oklahoma City F135 Heavy Maintenance Center is responsible for the majority of the F135’s maintenance work. Last year, the site produced 73 power modules on a requirement of 60 modules – a 43% increase from 2021, or 61% of the total power module output for the sustainment network. This year, the site will be responsible for a requirement of 78 production power modules.
“Pratt & Whitney has a long history in Oklahoma City, and we congratulate them on this new facility, which enhances their efficiency and ability to serve the U.S. Air Force,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. “Tinker is a cornerstone of Oklahoma City’s economy and culture, and supporting companies that support the base is important to our entire city. Pratt & Whitney’s investment in our city, and in the jobs added with this new facility, is significant and appreciated.”
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units.
Raytheon Technologies is the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, with a global team of 180,000 employees in aviation, building defense systems and creating innovations to take the U.S. deeper into space.