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 During ceremonies on 12 September at Pratt & Whitney facilities in Middletown, Connecticut, company and US government representatives completed the assembly of the first production configuration F135 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The event marks a milestone in the F-35 program, completing the first engine less than two years after the initial contract award on budget and ahead of schedule. Pratt & Whitney now begins testing the engine at its West Palm Beach, Florida, facilities under the Joint Strike Fighter System Development and Demonstration contract. First flight of the F-35 is planned for 2005. |
