FARNBOROUGH, England - GE Aircraft Engines' (GEAE) F110 and F404 military fighter engines are poised to further expand their worldwide presence through new platforms and technology.
"The F110 and F404 fighter engines continue to build a strong base through solid performance and advanced development programs," said Russ Sparks, vice president and general manager of GEAE Military Engine Operations. "The versatility and reliability of GE's fighter engines ensure them a prominent place in military aircraft fleets worldwide."
F110:
The Air Force of the Republic of Korea (ROKAF) recently selected GEAE's F110 fighter engine to power 40 new Boeing F-15K aircraft. The ROKAF selection launches the popular F110 fighter engine on the twin-engine F-15 aircraft. For almost two decades, GEAE's F110 engine family has been the best-selling engine for single-engine F-16C/Ds worldwide.
The development of the F110-GE-132 engine, the highest-thrust fighter engine for the Lockheed Martin F-16E/F, is progressing through a series of ground tests leading to flight-testing in early 2003.
The F110-GE-132 is derived from the highly successful F110-GE-100 and F110-GE-129 engines powering the majority of F-16C/Ds worldwide. The F110-GE-132 will produce up to 32,500 pounds (144 kN) of thrust. However, if the engine is operated at a maximum thrust of 29,000 (129 kN), which is the thrust rating for F110-GE-129 engines powering Block 50 F-16s, the life of the -132 can be increased by up to 50 percent, compared with the life of the -129.
The higher-thrust F110-GE-132 was launched in 2000 with its selection for 80 Block 60 F-16E/F aircraft by the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) Air Force and Air Defense. After flight-testing in 2002 and 2004, the first production engines will be delivered in 2003 to support aircraft delivery in 2004.
The -132 will greatly enhance the F110 engine family, which continues to expand its global presence. Recently, the air forces of Chile and Oman selected the F110-GE-129 to power their new fleets of F-16C/D aircraft. In addition to Chile, Oman, and the U.A.E., the F110 engine family has been selected to power F-16s for the United States Air Force (USAF), Bahrain, Egypt, Greece, Israel, and Turkey, as well as Japan's F-2 fighter. More than 2,700 F110 engines have been ordered worldwide since the engine was first selected by the USAF in 1984.
F404:
The F404 performance and reliability sets the standard for fighter engines. More than 3700 F404 engines are in service, powering the aircraft of military services worldwide, including the F/A-18 Hornets of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps and the F-117 stealth fighters of the USAF. The F404-powered Hornets are also operated by the air forces of Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. F404 derivatives also power Singapore's A-4SU Super Skyhawk and Sweden's JAS 39 Gripen. The F404 has over 9.5 million flight hours of outstanding operating experience and is combat-proven.
Several international customers have selected the F404/RM12-powered JAS 39 Gripen for their fighter replacement programs. South Africa has 28 Gripens on order, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2005. Hungary has committed to lease 14 Gripens from the Swedish Air Force beginning in 2005. Recently, the Czech Republic has selected the Gripen for its newest fighter. In addition, the Gripen is a candidate in several fighter competitions of other countries.
Continuing GEAE's commitment to technology infusion, another derivative of the F404 engine, the F404-GE-102 has been jointly developed by GEAE and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), to power the single-engine T-50 advanced jet trainer/light fighter being developed by KAI and Lockheed Martin. The F404-102 is a variant of the successful F404-402 with specific single- engine application reliability and redundancy features. A new control system with an advanced F414-based full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) has been incorporated. The T-50 ground and taxi test are in process, with first flight scheduled for third quarter 2002. The first production T-50 is scheduled for delivery in 2005.
Most recently, the F404-102D, a new F404 derivative, was selected to power the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/U.S. Air Force X-45B Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) currently under development by The Boeing Company. In addition to single-engine reliability features, low observable technology will also be incorporated into the F404-102D for the X-45B, which is scheduled to fly in 2005.
A derivative of the F404 also powers the India Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) flight test program which continues with the recent first flight of the second aircraft, TD-2. High-level Indian defense officials have also expressed their intent to procure 50 F404 engines to power the initial production aircraft. GEAE is currently in discussions with India about the potential incorporation of a FADEC in the engine for the production LCA.
GEAE, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is the world's leading manufacturer of jet engines for civil and military aircraft, including engines produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma Moteurs of France and GE. GEAE also manufactures gas turbines, derived from its highly successful jet engine programs, for marine and industrial applications. In addition, GEAE provides comprehensive maintenance support, through its GE Engine Services operation, for GE and non-GE jet engines in service throughout the world. Visit GEAE online at: http://www.geae.com.