The agreement establishes a new U.S. manufacturing source for the military propulsion system.
RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney announced a production license agreement on 15 September 2026 authorizing aerospace firm Hermeus to manufacture F100-PW-229 engines. The deal creates a new qualified manufacturing source in the United States to meet rising customer demand.
The F100 engine family has accumulated more than 32 million flight hours and has powered U.S. Air Force F-15 and F-16 fighters for more than five decades. The engine also powers Hermeus' Quarterhorse aircraft, which reached supersonic flight earlier in 2026 as the world's first privately developed unmanned supersonic jet.
Under the agreement, Hermeus will build the propulsion units using its rapid-build model while following Pratt & Whitney's quality and safety standards. Hermeus CEO Zach Shore noted that the license gives the company in-house propulsion capability to scale Quarterhorse while expanding domestic production for the broader defense base.
Pratt & Whitney currently supports more than 90,000 in-service engines worldwide across commercial and military fleets. Parent company RTX reported sales of more than $88 billion in 2025 and employs more than 180,000 workers globally.
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