GKN Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney Will 3D Print Parts for the F-35's F135 Engine

A new additive manufacturing pact

RTX's Pratt & Whitney and GKN Aerospace have signed a Technology Development Agreement to jointly explore the use of additive manufacturing (AM) for large structural components of the F135 engine — the turbofan that powers the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The deal expands a collaboration that has, until now, focused on smaller additive parts.

From small parts to large structural components

The headline move is scale. Rather than printing brackets and minor hardware, the two companies will investigate printing large structural engine cases — far bigger, more demanding geometries where the weight and buy-to-fly savings of metal AM are most attractive. GKN Aerospace has indicated it will build a full-scale 3D-printed F135 engine case at its facility in Norway, with support from Norway's Defence Materiel Agency.

Why this matters for aerospace

For military engines, additive manufacturing isn't just about cost. Consolidating multi-part assemblies into single printed structures reduces weight, cuts lead times, and shrinks the supply chain footprint for spares — a strategic advantage for a fleet as large and globally distributed as the F-35's. Large structural cases are exactly the kind of high-value, low-volume component where AM's economics shine.

The reported timeline points to a first full-scale 3D-printed metal case being targeted by 2028, a useful marker for how quickly this moves from exploration to flight-relevant hardware.

The bigger picture

This is part of a clear industry trajectory: after two decades of proving metal 3D printing on non-critical and small components, the major aero-engine makers are now pushing AM up the value chain into load-bearing structures. If the F135 program validates large printed cases, it sets a precedent that will ripple across both defense and commercial engine programs.

Bottom line

An agreement alone isn't a production part, and 'explore' is deliberately cautious language. But the direction is unambiguous: the next generation of military engine hardware will increasingly be grown rather than machined, and the F135 is now squarely on that path.