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Engine maker Rolls-Royce has finished about 90 percent of the work necessary for the Marine Corps to declare the F-35B battle ready on July 1, according to Vice President of Customer Business Tom Hartmann.
The company provides the lift fan, directional bearing swivel module and roll posts for the short-takeoff, vertical landing variant of the F-35. It also builds the crank shaft that connects the lift fan to the main Pratt & Whitney [UTX] F135 engine that powers all three variants of the aircraft.
Rolls-Royce so far has built a total 54 lift fans for the existing fleet of F-35Bs and has delivered enough to the Marine Corps in support of the...