Pratt and Whitney and Rolls-Royce have committed to a Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) approach in support of the UK’s F-35B Lightning II fleet. They provide the F135 engine and its unique LiftSystem respectively. The companies will jointly provide technical support from RAF Marham.

Chris Cholerton (seated, left), president of Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace signed an MoU here at the show with Bennett Croswell (seated, right), president of Pratt & Whitney military engines. A PBL contracting structure incentivizes contractors to focus on outcomes such as the availability of the propulsion system. The two companies said they would also offer this support model to other F-35B operators.

Witnessing the signing were (standing, left to right) Cdr. Rick Thompson, head of the Lightning II team at the UK’s Defence Equipment and Support (DES) organization; Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation at the U.S. Marine Corps; Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, program executive officer for the F-35 in the Joint Program Office; Tony Douglas, chief executive officer of the DES; and Air Cdre Harvey Smyth, Lightning Force Commander for the Royal Air Force.

On Monday R-R announced that it had signed a production contract covering 13 LiftSystems plus additional program labor, spares and tooling, covering the next batch of low-rate initial production. An additional contract for LRIP 10 is expected later this summer, to cover deliveries through 2018.