Bennett Croswell, President of Pratt & Whitney's Military Engines division, and Maureen Dougherty, Boeing Vice President and Program Manager, KC-46 Tanker Program, hosted a ceremonial engine contract signing event this week at Boeing's Tanker Program Office in Mukilteo, Washington, for contracts previously awarded to Pratt & Whitney.

The contracts support PW4062 engine purchases to power Boeing's KC-46, the U.S. Air Force's new airlift tanker.

“The PW4000 engine family that will power these aircraft has an exceptional track record of performance and reliability with numerous commercial customers operating the engine globally. We are confident these engines will continue to perform exceptionally well in a military application for Boeing and for our ultimate customer, the men and women in uniform,” said Croswell.

Two Pratt & Whitney PW4062 engines, each with a 94-inch fan blade diameter, will exclusively power each U.S. Air Force KC-46 aircraft. The program's scope, if fully exercised, calls for as many as 368 PW4062 engines to be delivered between 2013 and 2027. Actual production engine procurement quantities will be determined over the life of the program as established by future purchase orders.

“Pratt & Whitney's PW4062 engine offers the KC-46 program an engine that has proven performance, fuel economy, and durability – qualities that make it the clear choice to power the KC-46 Tanker. These engines bring tremendous capability to the KC-46, which supports superior multi-role mission performance by delivering more fuel, transporting more passengers and cargo, and offering enhanced aeromedical capabilities to our United States Air Force customer,” said Dougherty.

Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company.