Pratt & Whitney says it has received a $508 million to build 38 new engines for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

That brings the value Pratt’s contracts from the Pentagon for the planes to $1.1 billion.

The F-35 program has been plagued by massive cost overruns and other problems.

But the Pentagon, which once had harsh words for the F-35, whose main contractor is Lockheed Martin, said things are getting better.

“The engine price has been going down, and that trend will continue,” said Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, the F-35 program’s executive officer. “I’ve met with Pratt & Whitney’s senior leaders, and they are working closely with the supply chain to continue to bring down the cost to the government.”

Ana has written about politics and policy in Washington, D.C.. for Gannett, Thompson Reuters and UPI. She was a special correspondent for the Miami Herald, and a regular contributor to The New York TImes, Advertising Age and several other publications. She has also worked in broadcast journalism, for CNN and several local NPR stations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism.

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