Pratt & Whitney and GKN Will 3D Print a Core F135 Engine Part

The F135 is going additive

The F135 turbofan powers every F-35 Lightning II. It is one of the most important engines in service, and now two of its makers want to build a major structural piece with metal 3D printing.

Pratt & Whitney and GKN Aerospace signed a Technology Development Agreement at Farnborough Air Show to explore additive manufacturing for a large-scale F135 engine case. The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency backs the work, and the goal is to show that a full-size engine case can be printed while staying compatible with the existing engine design.

How they will print it

Development happens at GKN Aerospace's facility in Kongsberg, Norway. The process is laser-directed energy deposition with wire, a method that builds up metal from feedstock rather than fusing powder. If it works, this would be one of the first printed structures at this scale in a military engine.

The timeline is concrete. A first demonstrator component is expected by 2027, with product certification aimed for the end of 2028.

Why it matters

"This agreement reflects our continued focus on advancing technologies that support the long-term needs of the F135 program," said Chris Johnson, vice president of the F135 Program at Pratt & Whitney.

For years, additive manufacturing in aerospace meant small brackets and bespoke parts. A full engine case is a different class of component. If GKN and Pratt & Whitney pull it off, it shows metal 3D printing has moved from prototypes into the core of a combat engine.

The F135 has faced pressure to lower sustainment costs and extend its life. Printing a large structural part on demand could shorten supply lines and cut the weight of spare inventory. That is a real operational win, not a lab curiosity.