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Company adding seventh isothermal forging press to support commercial and military programs following $70M GTF MRO expansion
Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, is investing $200 million to expand the capabilities and footprint of its Columbus, Georgia, operations, which support commercial and military engine programs. With this new investment, Pratt & Whitney is adding a seventh isothermal forging press at its Columbus Forge facility. This addition is expected to increase output of critical parts, such as rotating compressor and turbine disks, by 30% to support GTF, F135 and other engine programs. The isothermal forging press is expected to become operational in 2028.
The latest investment at the Columbus Forge facility follows an 81,000-square-foot GTF MRO expansion at Pratt & Whitney's Columbus Engine Center, located on the same campus. This $70 million expansion added advanced equipment and machinery that align with the company's Industry 4.0 strategy. The facility's annual capacity increased by more than 25%, adding critical overhaul volume to the GTF MRO network in support of the growing fleet.
"Over the past four decades and with the support of the Columbus community, state and Governor, Pratt & Whitney's presence in Georgia has grown from a small manufacturing facility to a state-of-the-art manufacturing and overhaul center, employing over 2,600 dedicated people focused on our mission: to connect and protect our world," said Pratt & Whitney President Shane Eddy. "Since 2008, we have invested more than $1 billion to continue expanding the footprint and capabilities of our Columbus facility. This latest investment will increase output of critical parts for our growing military and commercial engine programs and underscores our ongoing commitment to ramp industrial capacity to support our customers."
"Pratt & Whitney's decision to invest in Georgia immediately after just completing another major expansion is an incredible testament to how companies that operate in our state find reliable, ongoing and long-term success," said Governor Brian Kemp. "Throughout its more than forty years in Columbus, Pratt & Whitney has been a valued partner and driver of the impact our aerospace industry is delivering statewide. We're grateful that this partnership will only continue to grow and flourish, benefiting this cutting-edge job creator, the people of Columbus and all of Georgia."
The Pratt & Whitney Columbus, Georgia site is located about 90 miles south of Atlanta and is comprised of the Columbus Engine Center and Columbus Forge. The Columbus Engine Center maintains Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for the Airbus A320neo aircraft family, Airbus A220 and Embraer E-Jets E2, along with F117 and F100 military engines for the C-17 transport, and F-15/F-16 fighters, respectively. Columbus Forge produces compressor airfoils, and compressor and turbine disks for Pratt & Whitney's commercial and military engines, including the GTF and F135, which powers the 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II fighter.
The GTF is the most fuel-efficient engine for the single aisle market. To date, more than 2,600 GTF-powered aircraft have been delivered to over 90 customers worldwide. The F135, which powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, is the safest, most capable and reliable fighter engine. To date, Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 1,300 F135 production engines to a global enterprise that includes 20 allied nations around the world.
About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units for military, commercial and civil aviation customers. Since 1925, our engineers have pioneered the development of revolutionary aircraft propulsion technologies, and today we support more than 90,000 in-service engines through our global network of maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.
About RTX
With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With industry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated defense systems for operational success, and develop next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact corporatepr@rtx.com.
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