Safran Aero Boosters, based in Belgium’s Walloon region, and the Flemish company BMT Aerospace will partner on the F135 engine, under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Safran Aero Boosters signed with Pratt & Whitney on December 10, 2023. The signing took place at Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the F35 aircraft, in Texas (U.S.A.), during the roll-out ceremony for the first Belgian F35, and was attended by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and a large Belgian delegation.
This MoU covers a research and technology project to produce engine structural parts using innovative processes. Industrial tools and expected commercial returns will be shared between Flanders and Wallonia.
Safran Aero Boosters has also signed a second MoU with Pratt & Whitney to develop a new manufacturing technology applicable to a family of components for the F135 engine, which will result in the setting up of a dedicated production line near Liège in Belgium.
“This project, for which we are partnering with Safran Aero Boosters, represents a substantial volume of industrial return for Belgium’s purchase of the F35 aircraft: we’re talking about €700 million (£603 million) in business over the life of this highly promising programme,” commented Benoit Reynders, CEO of BMT Aerospace.
