Is Pratt and Whitney is trying to kill the AETP program?

The Adaptive Engine Technology Program (AETP) is a program to adapt the engine being developed for the USAF and USN Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programs. It looks as if the AETP might be cancelled.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-skips-aetp-engines-for-f-35-presses-on-with-ngap/

While I usually think it is difficult to place blame or engage in conspiratorial thinking, I think in this case it’s actually too easy to do so. This is the reasoning by which blame could be placed on Pratt and Whitney.

While both Pratt and GE’s designs would fit in the F-35A, Pratt’s XA101 design for the new adaptive cycle engine wouldn’t fit as easily in the Navy’s F-35C, and it can’t be modified to fit Marine Corps’ F-35B at all. Meanwhile GE’s XA100 can fit in the C and GE says it can be adapted for the B. GE wins hands down on fit.

GE says the program will result in savings of $10 billion while Pratt says it will cost an extra $40 billion. I think Pratt saw the writing on the wall that GE was going to win, due to fit, the GE program being further along, and an overall better engine, and GE’s track record compared to Pratt for fighter engines, so Pratt’s response is to poison the competition to keep their monopoly on F-35 engines.

In addition, if GE is wins AETP for the F-35 they would have had to be the choice for the NGAD engine as well. This means the only way Pratt has a chance at the NGAD engine is to sabotage AETP in order to get it cancelled.

Think about it, when was the last time a competitor for a military contract said their product would cost too much?