Pratt & Whitney has signed a Production License Agreement authorising Hermeus to manufacture the F100-PW-229, one of the US military's most widely fielded fighter engines.

The agreement creates a new qualified production source for the F100 and adds capacity to the US defence industrial base. Hermeus will produce the engines using its rapid-build production model while meeting 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,” says Jessica Villardi, vice president of Fighter & Mobility Programs at Pratt & Whitney. “By partnering with Hermeus, we are expanding US production capacity to meet growing customer demand while delivering the proven dependability that defines the F100 engine.”

The F100 already powers Hermeus' Quarterhorse aircraft, which achieved supersonic flight earlier this year, making it the world's first privately developed unmanned supersonic jet. The engine has also powered the US Air Force's F-15 and F-16 fighters for more than five decades and is recognised for its reliability.

“Meeting future operational needs requires expanding America's capacity to build the engines our warfighters rely on,” says 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 in-house propulsion capability required to scale Quarterhorse,” he adds.

The arrangement positions Hermeus as a vertically integrated airframer as it works to scale Quarterhorse production, while giving Pratt & Whitney a second qualified source for an engine that remains central to the F-15 and F-16 fleets operated by the US Air Force and allied air forces.