TERRE HAUTE —
Terre Haute won a small victory in Washington on Tuesday when a congressional subcommittee voted to keep funding a military jet engine partially made by a local company.
The House Defense Appropriations subcommittee voted 11-5 to spend $450 million in the next U.S. defense budget on the F136 fighter engine, parts for which are made at Unison Engine Components, a high-tech manufacturing business on South Third Street.
The F136, which is a joint project for General Electric and Rolls-Royce, is an “alternative” engine for the military’s new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The main engine for the fighter is called the F135 and is made by Pratt & Whitney.
The House committee vote was “definitely one more step forward toward solidifying what a lot of us think should be a done deal by now,” said Rod Henry, president of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce. The F136 “is good for Unison. It’s good for GE and it’s good for Terre Haute,” he said.
Continued funding for the F136 could mean up to 200 new jobs and millions of dollars in new investment at Unison, Terre Haute economic development officials have stated. Funding would also benefit Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis.
Unfortunately for supporters of the engine, President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and many members of Congress have denounced the F136 as wasteful spending.
In fact, the president has threatened to veto any defense bill containing funding for the engine.
Nevertheless, many members of Congress continue to favor funding the F136. They and other supporters argue that the presence of an alternative engine will provide competition for the Pratt & Whitney engine, keeping costs down and performance standards up in the long run.
“There has been much debate on the issue of the second engine, but it all comes down to this: Competition saves money,” said Rep. Jerry Lewis of California in a statement issued Tuesday. Lewis is the ranking Republican on the defense appropriations subcommittee and author of the amendment that continued funding for the F136.
Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Evansville, who represents Terre Haute in the House, also supports the F136. In an e-mail to the Tribune-Star on Wednesday, Ellsworth said he supports “competition for the procurement of the engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Competition has proven to save the taxpayers money and improve the operational readiness of our military forces. Since the military plans to buy approximately 2,500 F-35s over the 30-year life of the program, it is critically important that we get it right.”
In May, Ellsworth helped defeat a measure that would have removed funding for the GE/Rolls-Royce engine from the defense bill. That measure was defeated by a vote of 193-231.
Ellsworth and Indiana Sens. Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar are all “very supportive of the GE engine,” Henry said. The Chamber plans to take another group from Terre Haute to Washington in September to continue to lobby for the engine, he said.
GE/Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney have spent millions lobbying in Washington for and against the F136, according to news reports and Politico.com.
While supporters of the F136 won a victory with Tuesday’s subcommittee vote, the battle over the F136 is far from over. Assuming funding for the alternative engine is ultimately part of a House defense bill, that bill would still need to be reconciled with a Senate defense bill, which currently does not contain funding for the GE/Rolls-Royce engine.
On top of that, Obama administration officials continue to take a strong stance against the F136. In a statement Tuesday night to ABC News, White House officials said there has been no change in a message President Obama sent Congress in May. That message stated that the president’s top advisers would recommend vetoing any defense bill containing funding for “an extra engine program.”
Congress has funded the F136 engine for the past decade. Four years ago, however, the Defense Department selected the Pratt & Whitney F135 as the sole engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. Defense Secretary Gates, speaking in June, said guaranteed contracts for both engines is not competition. “My idea of competition is winner takes all,” he said.
Yet supporters of the F136 say history provides examples of alternative engine programs driving down costs and improving quality. “You would think it would be a no-brainer,” the Chamber’s Henry said Wednesday.
Observers note that the stakes in the battle between Pratt & Whitney and GE/Rolls-Royce over the Joint Strike Fighter engine are huge. The military plans to eventually make the all-purpose aircraft its only fighter jet for a generation, meaning it will be the “only game in town” for many years as far as jet fighters are concerned.
For more information on the debate over the F136, visit the GE/Rolls-Royce website, www.f136.com, or the Pratt & Whitney site, www.f135engine.com. Both websites include links to members of Congress.
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
News
F136 fighter engine wins House vote
TH company partially makes military jet engine
- News
-
-
Valentine's Day a rosy business
Red roses, mixed bouquets and even a bonsai tree or two are being delivered today on perhaps the nation’s sweetest holiday.
-
Downtown gets Wi-Fi ‘hotspot’
Frontier Communications has reached an agreement with city officials to create a Wi-Fi “hotspot” covering much of downtown Terre Haute.
-
Board OKs $5.4M in work at schools
The Vigo County School Board has approved borrowing $5.4 million for an expansion of DeVaney Elementary School and energy-related projects at 15 other schools.
-
Stella’s Cafe downtown plans to close March 2
Not long after changing its name from Bit of Britain Tea Room to Stella’s Cafe, a downtown restaurant has announced plans to close its doors.
-
Bill would ease college credit transfers
Indiana college students worried about whether their credit hours will transfer to another university may get some relief if a proposed higher-education bill passes.
-
Court alters trial date for man accused in 1979 death case
A trial date has changed for a Riley man accused of a 1979 homicide.
-
Shift to online raises school cost concerns
Legislation that would require high school students in Indiana to take at least one online course is meeting resistance from some school administrators who say they can’t afford any more mandates from the state.
-
Cops nab man after squad car struck
A West Terre Haute man was arrested Monday after a police pursuit that began after his vehicle collided with a Terre Haute police car.
-
Victim unhurt when robbed by gunman
Terre Haute police were searching late Monday night for a suspect accused of using a gun to rob another person at about 7 p.m.
-
Man face gun charge after woman shot in leg
A Terre Haute man faces a misdemeanor firearms charge following an accidental shooting during the weekend.
-
Martinsville hoops coach accused of indecency
A top Indiana boys’ basketball coach faces a misdemeanor public indecency charge after Indianapolis police say an officer found him in “a state of nudity” in his car in the company of a teenage girl.
-
Packing the hall
If you didn’t come early, the seats were hard to find.
-
Alternative-fuel project has Rose, ISU students all charged up
The future of Earth’s auto industry is intertwined with the career prospects of local university students, and a world-class team shined with green energy Sunday.
-
Montford Point Marine
In 1943, 19-year-old Ezell Odom was on the sandy beach of a tiny South Pacific island about 7,000 miles from his parent’s home in Terre Haute.
-
K-9 officer Shadow honored as a hero
A Terre Haute K-9 officer injured in the line of duty has been honored as a hero by the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association.
-
Freezin’ for a Reason
Hundreds lined up outside Hulman Center amid frigid air to participate in a warm-hearted cause.
-
Even as law, right-to-work dominates crackerbarrel
The flames of the right-to-work debate were gone, but the coals still seemed to smolder.
-
Vigo School Board to give OK on bonds for DeVaney project
The Vigo County School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the administration building, 686 Wabash Ave.
-
Bridging the gap to ‘forever’
They can be taken from their homes by strangers for reasons they may not understand, with no possessions other than the clothes they are wearing.
-
Students showcase keen problem-solving skills at Rose-Hulman
For the 16th straight year, Honey Creek Middle School students came out on top in the Wabash Valley MATHCOUNTS competition at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
-
Ivy Tech to celebrate Black History Month
Ivy Tech Community College will celebrate Black History Month with a series of events at its campuses statewide.
-
Giant welcome home for Steve
Terre Haute was suddenly home to thousands of cheering New York Giants fans Friday as residents welcomed Super Bowl champion Steve Weatherford back home for a parade.
-
‘One for Terre Haute,’ Steve tells crowd at North
“This one was for Terre Haute,” native son Steve Weatherford proclaimed Friday as he shared his Super Bowl victory with the community that helped send him on the path to a world championship.
-
Hometown support vital to success, Weatherford says
Steve Weatherford said Friday he wouldn’t be celebrating a Giants’ Super Bowl victory if not for the support he’s received from his hometown, his parents and mentors in his life.
-
Craning for a rare glimpse
A visitor from the Far East has naturalists flying to Linton, hoping some good comes from one bird’s bad directions.
-
Vigo’s primary election filings complete
The slate is set for the May 8 primary election, with the race for three at-large seats on the Vigo County Council drawing the largest pool of candidates at the county level.
-
Documentary on electric vehicles plays Sunday at Rose
The rising popularity of electric vehicles and their impact on the world eco-system is the focus of a documentary, “Revenge of the Electric Car,” being presented at 3 p.m. Sunday in Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Hatfield Hall Theater.
-
Man gets 10-year sentence in battery case
A West Terre Haute man received a 10-year prison sentence Friday after pleading guilty to aggravated battery for beating a friend caught in bed with the man’s wife.
-
Slow drips: It’s maple syrup season in Indiana
More seasonal, colder temperatures will hit the Wabash Valley this weekend, which is ideal weather for maple syrup production, said Keith Ruble, superintendent of the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department.
However, Ruble voices concern that this year’s maple syrup season may be short.
-
Downtown restaurant celebrates expansion
The streets of Terre Haute were chilly Thursday night, but for the glow of hot pasta inside Louise’s Pizzeria and Cafe.
- More News Headlines
-
Raw Video: Biden Greets Chinese VP for Visit
Raw Video: Kim Jong Il Statue Unveiled
Authorities: Houston Found Underwater in Tub
Trial Opens for Ala. Man in Bride's Diving Death
Baltimore's 'Crime Stopper' Is a Basketball Star
Raw Video: Hearse Arrives at N.J. Funeral Home
Raw Video: Heavy Shelling in Homs, Syria
Raw Video: 5 People Injured in Bangkok Blasts
Arm Wrestler Not Guilty Plea in Wife's Death
Bacteria Keep Swimmers Off Some Fla. Beaches
Raw Video: Houston Body Flown From L.A. to N.J.
First Person: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance
Obama's New Budget: The Winners and Losers
Gregoire: Marriage Equality Is Right for Wash.
Police: Houston Found Under Water, Unconscious
Israeli Diplomats Targeted in India, Georgia
Sandusky Can See Grandkids, Have Local Jury
ShowBiz Minute: Houston, Grammys, BAFTAs
Attempted Bomb Attack Stopped in Georgia
Saying 'I Love You' With a Sewage Plant Tour
Watch: Whitney Houston's Golden Hearse
Kate Upton MLB 2K12 Commercial
Olympic Swimmer Proposes on Podium After Big Win
Scarlett Johansson's Bikini P-D-A
Man Allegedly Drowns Wife While Scuba Diving
Glee Pays Tribute to Whitney
Wash. becomes 7th state to okay same-sex marriage
Romijn's 60 Pound Weight Loss
The 'Celebrity Apprentice' Cast Meets Donald Trump
Kissing contest heats up
Hugh Hefner's Son Arrested
Jacqueline Kennedy's personal papers released
Did Tyler Perry Have a Secret Wedding?
Iran denies Israeli embassy bombings
'Bachelor' Free Falls into the Ocean
Facebook Parenting: Father Posts Video Responding to Daughter's Post
Bobby Brown on Houston's Death
