Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, and Hermeus have announced a Production License Agreement authorising Hermeus to manufacture F100-PW-229 engines, one of the U.S. military's most widely fielded fighter propulsion systems. The agreement strengthens the U.S. defence industrial base by creating a new qualified production source for the F100 engine. Hermeus will produce the engines using its rapid-build production model while adhering to Pratt & Whitney's global standards for quality, safety and site-activation.

"With more than 32 million flight hours, the F100 has earned its place as one of the world's most trusted fighter engines," said Jessica Villardi, vice president of Fighter & Mobility Programs at Pratt & Whitney. "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."

Pratt & Whitney's F100 engine powers Hermeus' Quarterhorse aircraft, which achieved supersonic flight earlier this year, making it the world's first privately developed unmanned supersonic jet. The F100 has powered the U.S. Air Force's F-15 and F-16 fighter jets for more than five decades and is recognised for its unmatched performance and reliability.

"Meeting future operational needs requires expanding America's capacity to build the engines our warfighters rely on," said Zach Shore, CEO of Hermeus. "Pratt & Whitney built the standard for fighter propulsion. By becoming a licensed manufacturer of the F100, Hermeus expands domestic engine capacity for the broader defence industrial base and becomes the first vertically integrated airframer with the in-house propulsion capability required to scale Quarterhorse."