How GKN Aerospace & RTX are 3D Printing F135 Engines

GKN Aerospace and RTX’s Pratt & Whitney have signed a technology agreement to use additive manufacturing for the F135 Engine.

The F135 engine powers the F-35 Lightning II, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and deployed worldwide for combat situations and deterrence.

The manufacturing will take place at GKN Aerospace’s facility in Kongsberg, Norway and the first pilot model is expected to be complete by 2027.

Sébastien Aknouche, Senior Vice President of Material Solutions at GKN Aerospace, says: “I am pleased to see this collaboration bringing together strong industrial capabilities and advanced manufacturing expertise. 

“This initiative reflects our ambition to further develop and industrialise additive technologies for demanding aerospace applications.”

GKN Aerospace and RTX’s partnership

GKN Aerospace and RTX’s Pratt & Whitney have joined forces to create structural components for the F135 engine.

These features will be created using additive manufacturing, one of the first of its kind within military engines. 

The construction process will use LMD-W technology, a process that allows companies to produce complex titanium components.

Aerospace organisations use this material in jet engines, turbines, airframes and landing gear due to its corrosion resistance, strength-to-weight ratio and performance in high temperatures.

The F-35 Lightning II is used by multiple countries including the US, UK, Israel, Italy, Japan, Australia, Norway and the Netherlands.

Lockheed Martin says that 191 F-35s were delivered in 2025, which set a new record for the company.

Additive manufacturing in defence

Aerospace and automotive manufacturers use an additive processes for selective laser sintering, fused deposition and stereolithography. 

GKN Aerospace says that additive technologies have the potential to  increase supply chain resilience and improve production processes through reducing lead times, lowering material usage, and increasing overall efficiency.

For example, in 2023, the US Navy used a hybrid metal 3D print on the USS Bataan to manufacture a compressor repair part in under five days.

Additive manufacturing is on the rise across a variety of sectors, with the UK investing over £13bn since 2020.

Benefits of the process include less hard tooling and assembly, while also helping companies with waste reduction.