Pratt & Whitney has awarded Alp Aviation a contract to produce F135 fully machined titanium Integrally Bladed Rotors (IBR). Alp will produce these components at their main facility in Eskisehir, Turkey. The contract has the potential value of over half a billion US dollars over the life of the JSF program. Alp Aviation has also completed the first article inspections of the second and third stage IBRs for Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine, and now are ready for full production. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.

"Alp Aviation is a significant supplier for the F135 engine program," said Warren Boley, President of Pratt & Whitney military engines. "Alp was selected because they have proven their ability to produce major rotating engine components."

Alp Aviation has a joint venture company between Alpata Group and Sikorsky Helicopters which is Pratt & Whitney's sister company within UTC. Alp is a complex machining supplier with multi-axis machining equipment, which has produced components for other Pratt & Whitney products including the F135 rear hub as well as the F135 and F100 sync rings.

"Alp Aviation is very proud of this important cooperation with Pratt & Whitney in F135 program and looks forward to further extension of the existing technological ad commercial relationships," said Tuncer Alpata, Alp Aviation Chairman.

The Alpata Group is a leader in the aerospace sector. Founded in 1998, it has over 300 employees and a 175,000 sq ft facility, and will add a 155,000 sq ft facility dedicated to IBR production in 2010, as a part of an on-going construction of 310,000 sq ft engine components production and engineering center. Company revenues in 2009 were close to $40.0 million with a good growth potential starting from 2010. Alp Aviation has machining experience on titanium, aluminum, supper alloys and stainless steel, which its uses to produce complex parts for fixed and rotary wing aircrafts.