Aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney expects to create more than 100 new jobs in an expansion of its military aftermarket services operations in Oklahoma.
The company announced the multi-million dollar project during this week’s Paris Air Show. The investment will support “sustainment operations” at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base, located just outside the city.
Those operations currently support more than a dozen engine types, including the Pratt & Whitney F135, F119, and F117 military engines, which prompted Pratt’s workforce in the area to grow 10-fold over the past 15 years. The newly announced expansion, in particular, is expected to support an F135 fleet that is projected to double over the next three years.
“This expansion gives us access to a talented workforce which will help us to continue to deliver on customer commitments,” Kevin Kirkpatrick, Pratt & Whitney’s vice president for military engines sustainment operations, said in a statement. “Oklahoma City has been a great municipal partner and we are pleased to grow our operations here.”
Pratt is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., which recently announced plans for a $120 billion merger with defense giant Raytheon.
