Pratt & Whitney Grants Hermeus License to Produce F100 Fighter Engine

Pratt & Whitney and Hermeus said Tuesday they have signed a production license agreement allowing Hermeus to manufacture the F100-PW-229 fighter engine, a move the companies said will expand U.S. engine-production capacity and help speed production of Hermeus’ Quarterhorse aircraft.

The agreement, announced Sept. 15, authorizes Hermeus to build Pratt & Whitney’s F100-PW-229 under Pratt & Whitney standards for quality, safety and site activation, while using what RTX, Pratt & Whitney’s parent company, described as Hermeus’ “rapid-build production model.” In the company announcement, RTX said the deal would “strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base” by creating a new qualified production source for the F100 engine and would “accelerate Quarterhorse aircraft production.”

That is notable because the F100 is a widely fielded military engine family, not a niche test system. Pratt & Whitney’s F100 line powers aircraft in the F-15 and F-16 families and, according to the company’s product page, has logged more than 30 million flight hours. Pratt & Whitney says more than 3,800 F100 engines are in service with 23 air forces, underscoring the engine’s long operational history and broad use.

For Hermeus, the license deepens an existing link between the engine and its high-speed aircraft program. RTX said the F100 powers Hermeus’ Quarterhorse aircraft, which the Atlanta-based company is developing as a high-speed aircraft. Hermeus said on May 26 that its Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 completed its first unmanned supersonic flight, reaching Mach 1.21, giving the program a concrete milestone before Tuesday’s manufacturing announcement.

Jessica Villardi, vice president of Fighter & Mobility Programs at Pratt & Whitney, said in the RTX release that the agreement is meant to add capacity around an engine with decades of service history. “By partnering with Hermeus, we are expanding U.S. production capacity to meet growing customer demand while delivering the proven dependability that defines the F100 engine,” she said.

The announcement did not disclose financial terms, expected production volumes, manufacturing site locations or when serial production might begin. It also did not say whether any government approvals are still required before Hermeus can start manufacturing the engine.