Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., is displaying its new geared turbofan on Capitol Hill in D.C. today. The company is also using the event to advertise its intentions to hire and invest in the local communities in which it operates, including its home state of Connecticut.

“The Geared Turbofan, with its revolutionary design, is the future of aviation, and is a great example of U.S. manufacturing leadership,” Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc said in a statement. “Pratt & Whitney expects to hire 25,000 people by 2026, helping to ensure that we meet production targets and maintenance standards, and we will continue to invest in our facilities and supply chain – a majority of which is spent in the United States, while growing U.S. exports. This is the beginning of the next great age in aircraft propulsion, and the GTF engine is in its first years of a 30-plus year program.”

In addition, Pratt & Whitney is investing $1.3 billion in upgrading and updating its manufacturing and service centers to meet the demands of the new program, including a $400 million expansion of the company’s two Connecticut facilities, $451 million expansion of its Columbus, Georgia, facility, and opening a new facility in Lansing, Michigan, to produce fan blades.

Pratt & Whitney is also investing more than $4.5 million to construct advanced additive manufacturing laboratories at the University of Connecticut.