Honeywell Aerospace announces new milestones in F-35 PTMS, Kestrel EGI, SkyShot1600 engine

Honeywell Aerospace announced the launch of its 40 kW Power and Thermal Management System (PTMS) upgrade for the F-35 in September 2026. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)

Since spinning off into an independent entity in June 2026, Honeywell Aerospace has directed its business to improving capabilities in Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II readiness and thermal management, as well as GPS sensors and engines for unmanned aircraft.

Speaking to Janes on 15 September 2026, Matt Milas, president of defense and space at Honeywell Aerospace, said the company's focus has been on bringing technology to the warfighter faster and scaling up.

F-35 PTMS receives cooling upgrade

The company has stated that it has increased investment into the F-35 fleet, focusing on fleet readiness, aircraft availability, and mission effectiveness.

Milas said the company can support production of 156 F-35 aircraft a year, but potential surges for producing spare F-35s is contingent on alignment between what the Department of Defense (DOD) requires and what Congress is willing to appropriate to the service.

“We have to surge not just to meet the production rate but also the sustainment rate of producing more spares and getting more repairs returned from the field,” he told Janes.

Milas said Honeywell has focused much of its investment in “our supply base, adding capacity with additional suppliers, helping support our suppliers, adding additional capital equipment, adding manpower workforce.”

Milas said that in some instances, the company is “deploying Honeywell employees to our suppliers to actually do the manufacturing work at the suppliers,” he added. “We're sending our own people to turn wrenches and make parts at our suppliers where they're having a hard time getting trained, qualified people.”