Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) raised national security concerns surrounding the news that Pratt & Whitney may close its Cheshire facility, the only plant in the company’s network that repairs the F117 engine, which supplies power to the United States Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster III. Murphy wrote a letter to Pratt & Whitney President David Hess to urge him to consider the impact that his decision will have on the company’s commitment to the United States Air Force and our nation’s security.
“The men and women who work at the Pratt & Whitney Cheshire facility are the experts in repairing the F117 engine. Our airmen rely on the C-17 to function flawlessly in military operations, and so I have grave concerns that closing the Cheshire plant will leave the Air Force with diminished capacity to make repairs to these engines in a timely manner. Closing this plant is the wrong way to go,” Murphy said.
Just last month, the Cheshire plant set a record by delivering $110 million in revenue for the company. While Pratt & Whitney’s parent company, United Technologies Corporation, has seen a dramatic drop-off in profits in the second quarter, the Cheshire facility defied the trend of the overall business to record these record revenues.
Murphy also sent this letter to the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton (MO-04), whose committee overseas military policy.
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