GKN Aerospace and Pratt Whitney Target F135 Additive Manufacturing

GKN Aerospace and RTX’s Pratt & Whitney have partnered with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) to pioneer the use of additive manufacturing for large structural components on the F135 engine. Announced on July 20, 2026, during the Farnborough Air Show, the Technology Development Agreement focuses specifically on fabricating large engine cases to support the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II propulsion system.

The project will be led from GKN Aerospace’s facility in Kongsberg, Norway. According to the companies, the initiative represents one of the first applications of large-scale additive manufacturing within military aero-engine structures, aiming to increase supply chain resilience, reduce lead times, and improve overall production efficiency.

Advancing military engine manufacturing

The collaboration will utilize a laser-directed energy deposition with wire (L-DED-w) process. This manufacturing method deposits material much closer to the final geometry of the part compared to conventional techniques. By doing so, the process significantly reduces both the raw material waste and the extensive machining time typically associated with traditional aerospace manufacturing.

Executives from both companies highlighted the strategic importance of maturing this technology for high-performance military aircraft applications.

“I am pleased to see this collaboration bringing together strong industrial capabilities and advanced manufacturing expertise. This initiative reflects our ambition to further develop and industrialise additive technologies for demanding aerospace applications,” said Sébastien Aknouche, Senior Vice President at GKN Aerospace.

“This agreement reflects our continued focus on advancing technologies that support the long-term needs of the F135 program. We appreciate the collaboration with GKN Aerospace as we explore new manufacturing approaches that contribute to future engine readiness,” said Chris Johnson, Vice President of the F135 Program at Pratt & Whitney.

Supply chain resilience and production scaling

The push toward additive manufacturing aligns with Pratt & Whitney’s current operational requirements. The manufacturer is actively scaling output for the F135 program while simultaneously advancing the Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) toward a final production decision. Integrating additive manufacturing offers a direct route to bypass the lengthy procurement queues typically required for large aerospace forgings, which have been a persistent bottleneck in the global aerospace supply chain.

The development timeline targets rapid industrialization. The partners expect the first large-scale additive manufacturing demonstrator component to be completed in 2027. Following the demonstrator phase, the companies aim to finalize a fully certified product by the end of 2028.

Commercial aviation agreements

Alongside the military engine development, GKN Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney utilized the 2026 Farnborough Air Show to expand their commercial aircraft manufacturing ties. The companies signed a separate agreement to broaden their existing risk- and revenue-sharing partnership. This expanded commercial agreement includes the manufacturing of low-pressure compressor vanes for the PW1500G and PW1900G commercial engines.

AirPro News analysis

We view the transition of additive manufacturing from small, highly complex internal components to large structural engine cases as a critical maturation of the technology. The aerospace supply chain has long been constrained by the limited global capacity for large forgings. By validating the L-DED-w process for the F135 program, Pratt & Whitney and GKN Aerospace are establishing a framework that could fundamentally alter how heavy military and commercial engine structures are sourced. If the 2028 certification target is met, this manufacturing process will likely cascade into other engine programs seeking similar supply chain resilience and reduced material costs.

Sources: GKN Aerospace