The Boeing Company awarded Pratt & Whitney a contract with a value of up to $1.4 billion to support the C-17 aircraft fleet. This F117 engine maintenance agreement includes a one year contract and the option to extend for two additional years through 2011. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.

"This contract extension allows Pratt & Whitney's F117 team to continue meeting its customers' expectations in the areas of engine availability, reliability and maintainability while keeping its customers' fleets at a high level of readiness around the world," said Bill Begert, vice president of business development and international programs, Pratt & Whitney. "We are very proud to continue our support of The Boeing Company and we are always mindful of the significance of quality, reliability and performance to the men and women in uniform, our ultimate customer."

This F117 contract covers fleet management support, configuration control, thrust reversers and EcoPower(R) engine wash services for the entire F117 fleet of 800 engines. Pratt & Whitney's EcoPower(R) service uses a closed-loop system with pure, atomized water to wash aircraft engines, thus avoiding potential contaminant runoff. The system is more effective and much faster than traditional engine washing processes.

Four F117s provide exclusive power for the C-17 Globemaster III -- the world's premier heavy airlifter. With more than 5.8 million hours of proven military service and more than 40 million hours in commercial use, the F117/PW2037 reinforces Pratt & Whitney's promise to deliver Dependable Engines. The F117-PW-100 is a derivative of Pratt & Whitney's PW2037 commercial engine powering the Boeing 757. The F117 has consistently proven itself as a world-class reliable engine. With Pratt & Whitney's ongoing investment in product improvements, the engine continuously surpasses established goals for time on wing, in-flight shut downs, and support turnaround time.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.