Washington has delivered some big wins to Pratt & Whitney this month. The Pentagon announced today that it would award a $35 billion tanker contract to Boeing, with Pratt set to supply parts and two engines for each of the 179 planes.
The engines will be assembled in Middletown, to the delight of the Connecticut delegation.
“Today’s decision is a victory for our region’s workforce, Connecticut’s industrial base and the American taxpayer,” said Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District. “After a decade of twists and turns, the Pentagon today showed great leadership and got this decision right. We can finally move forward with confidence that Boeing and Pratt & Whitney will build the next generation of tanker, and that they won that responsibility fairly.”
Today’s decision comes after years of turmoil over the contract, which Boeing won over Airbus and its parent company, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company.
Boeing lost the contract earlier amid a contracting scandal and it then went to Northrop-Grumman and Airbus jointly. Boeing protested and the Pentagon rebid the project, leading to today’s decision.
Today’s Pentagon announcement comes on the heels of Pratt’s victory in the House last week, when lawmakers voted to give the firm a monopoly in building the main engine for the Joint Strike Fighter.