Hermeus to manufacture Pratt & Whitney F100 fighter engines

Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX, has signed a production license agreement with the aerospace startup Hermeus, authorizing the company to manufacture the F100-PW-229 fighter jet engine. This marks a first for the engine, which is widely used in the U.S. military's F-15 and F-16 fighter series.

Hermeus intends to use the F100 engine to power its Quarterhorse family of unmanned aircraft, which are designed to reach high Mach speeds. The startup is also developing a proprietary engine called ‘Chimera,’ which aims to combine a precooled F100 engine with a ramjet. The Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 recently achieved supersonic flight, reaching Mach 1.21 during tests in New Mexico.

The agreement is intended to expand the United States' defense industrial base by creating an additional qualified production source for these combat-proven engines. Hermeus will utilize its rapid-build production model while maintaining Pratt & Whitney's quality and safety standards.