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General Electric F110

General Electric Aviation · Aircraft Engine · USA · Cold War (1970–1991)

General Electric F110 — Aircraft Engine
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The General Electric F110 is an afterburning low-bypass turbofan derived from the F101 bomber engine, re-fanned and tuned for fighter use. It powers roughly half of the worldwide F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet, every F-14B and F-14D Tomcat built, and later F-15 Eagle export variants. More than 3,400 F110 engines had been delivered by 2026.

The engine emerged from the U.S. Air Force's 1984 decision to break Pratt & Whitney's monopoly on the F-16 by opening the program to competitive engine procurement — the famous "Great Engine War." GE submitted a derivative-fighter-engine demonstrator built around the F101 core with a new 3-stage fan and reworked afterburner, and won the right to compete head-to-head with the F100. The Air Force ultimately split annual F-16 production between the two engines, awarding shares based on price, performance, and reliability bids each year. GE won a majority of F-16 export contracts and remains the dominant supplier today.

Architecture is 2-spool: a 3-stage fan driven by a 2-stage low-pressure turbine, a 9-stage high-pressure compressor driven by a 1-stage high-pressure turbine, an annular combustor, and a variable-area convergent-divergent afterburner nozzle. The F110-GE-100 original produced 27,600 lbf with afterburner. Later dash-numbers grew the engine: the F110-GE-129 reached 29,500 lbf for F-16 Block 50/52 and F-15K/SG, while the F110-GE-132 reached 32,000 lbf for the F-16 Block 60 sold to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The F-14B and F-14D Tomcat re-engining programs of the late 1980s replaced the troublesome Pratt & Whitney TF30 with the F110-GE-400, a navalised variant with corrosion-resistant coatings and a longer afterburner section. The change roughly doubled the Tomcat's available thrust at low speed and high angle of attack, finally giving the F-14 the powerplant it had needed since 1972 when the F401 program collapsed.

The F110 is licence-built by IHI Corporation in Japan (for F-15J/DJ Eagles and the Japanese F-2 fighter), TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) in Turkey (for Turkish F-16s), and previously by Samsung Techwin in South Korea (for the Korean F-16 Peace Bridge program). It remains in production at GE Aerospace's Evendale, Ohio plant, primarily for F-16 Block 70/72 export deliveries and Korean F-15K orders. The successor-generation for U.S. air dominance fighters is being developed under the GE XA102 adaptive-engine bid for the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The General Electric F110 is a powerful jet engine. It is used in some of the most famous fighter jets in the world. These include the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-14 Tomcat, and later versions of the F-15 Eagle.

This engine was built to compete with another engine called the F100. In 1984, the American Air Force wanted two companies to compete for engine contracts. This became known as the "Great Engine War." General Electric won a big share of the deals by offering great performance and a good price.

The F110 started life as a bomber engine called the F101. Engineers gave it a new fan and tuned it for fast fighter jets. It can push out up to 32,000 pounds of thrust with its afterburner on. That is like strapping a rocket to a sports car!

The engine has two main spinning sections inside. A large fan pulls in air at the front. Then the air is squeezed, mixed with fuel, and burned to create huge power. The afterburner adds even more fuel at the back for a big boost of speed.

More than 3,400 of these engines have been built and delivered. That makes it one of the most popular fighter jet engines ever made. General Electric is still the top supplier for many countries around the world today.

Fun Facts

  • The F110 can push out up to 32,000 pounds of thrust — that is heavier than two full school buses pushing you forward!
  • More than 3,400 F110 engines have been built and delivered around the world.
  • The engine started as a bomber engine called the F101 before being tuned for fighter jets.
  • The "Great Engine War" of 1984 made two companies compete every year to win F-16 engine contracts.
  • The F110 powers every single F-14B and F-14D Tomcat ever built.
  • The engine uses an afterburner that sprays extra fuel at the back to give a massive speed boost.
  • General Electric won most of the overseas F-16 engine contracts and is still the top supplier today.

Kids’ Questions

What jets does the F110 engine power?

The F110 engine powers the F-16 Fighting Falcon, every F-14B and F-14D Tomcat, and later export versions of the F-15 Eagle. It is used by many countries around the world.

What is an afterburner?

An afterburner sprays extra fuel into the back of the engine. This creates a huge burst of extra thrust to make the jet go much faster. Pilots use it when they need a big speed boost.

What was the "Great Engine War"?

The "Great Engine War" started in 1984. The American Air Force decided to let two engine companies compete for F-16 engine contracts each year. The company that offered the best price and performance would win that year's share of engines.

How many F110 engines have been made?

More than 3,400 F110 engines had been delivered by 2026. That makes it one of the most widely used fighter jet engines ever built.

Variants

F110-GE-100
Original 1986 production variant for the F-16C/D Block 30. 27,600 lbf afterburning, 17,000 lbf dry. The first F110 fielded, displacing the F100 from a share of F-16 production.
F110-GE-129
29,500 lbf afterburning, 17,000 lbf dry. Standard engine on F-16 Block 50/52, F-15K Slam Eagle, F-15SG, and Japanese F-2 fighters built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The most-produced F110 dash-number.
F110-GE-132
32,000 lbf afterburning, the most powerful F110 variant. Developed for the F-16 Block 60 Desert Falcon sold to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Adds 12% thrust over the -129 through hot-section refinements.
F110-GE-400
Navalised variant for the U.S. Navy F-14B and F-14D Tomcat. Corrosion-resistant coatings, longer afterburner section, and bleed/bypass modifications for carrier launch. 27,600 lbf afterburning.

Notable Operators

F-16 Fighting Falcon (1986-present)
Powers roughly half of all F-16 airframes built, especially export customers including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Greece, Israel (partial), Turkey, South Korea, Singapore, Bahrain, and Morocco. One engine per airframe. Production continues for F-16 Block 70/72 customers.
F-14B/D Tomcat (1987-2006)
U.S. Navy F-14B (formerly F-14A+) and F-14D variants used the F110-GE-400. Replaced the underpowered TF30. Retired with the Tomcat fleet in 2006.
F-15 Eagle (2005-present)
F-15K Slam Eagle (South Korea, 2005) and F-15SG (Singapore, 2009) were the first F-15 variants to fly the F110 rather than the Pratt & Whitney F100. Korean F-15K production resumed in the 2020s.
Mitsubishi F-2
The Japanese F-2 fighter (a stretched, larger-wing F-16 derivative) flies a licence-built F110-IHI-129 manufactured by IHI Corporation in Japan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What aircraft use the General Electric F110?

The F110 powers roughly half of the worldwide F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet (especially export customers like the UAE, Egypt, Greece, South Korea, and Singapore), every U.S. Navy F-14B and F-14D Tomcat built, later F-15 Eagle variants for South Korea (F-15K) and Singapore (F-15SG), and the Japanese Mitsubishi F-2 (GE Aerospace F110 page).

How does the F110 compare to the Pratt & Whitney F100?

They are direct competitors in the same thrust class. The F110-GE-129 produces 29,500 lbf; the F100-PW-229 produces 29,160 lbf. The F110 is slightly more fuel-efficient at military (dry) power; the F100 has a longer service history on early F-15s. The two engines competed in the 1984-1985 F-16 "Great Engine War," after which the U.S. Air Force split F-16 production between them. GE has captured most non-U.S. export contracts since.

How is the F110 related to the F101 and CFM56?

Same core. The F110 is a fighter-tuned re-fan of the F101 bomber engine, with a smaller, faster fan and reworked afterburner. The civil CFM56 turbofan (built by CFM International, the GE-Snecma joint venture) uses the same core with a much larger fan and no afterburner. All three engines trace back to the 1970 B-1 program.

How did the F110 fix the F-14's engine problems?

The U.S. Navy's F-14A flew with the Pratt & Whitney TF30, a 1960s commercial-derived turbofan that suffered compressor stalls and afterburner blowouts in fighter use. The F110-GE-400 fitted to the F-14B (from 1987) and F-14D (from 1990) raised available thrust at low speed by roughly 30%, eliminated the stall problem, and gave the Tomcat the carrier-launch performance it had lacked since 1972. The F110 was the engine the F-14 should have had from day one.

Is the F110 still in production?

Yes. GE Aerospace builds the F110-GE-129 and -132 at its Evendale, Ohio plant for ongoing F-16 Block 70/72 export deliveries and Korean F-15K orders (GE Aerospace F110 page). Licence production also continues at IHI Corporation in Japan. More than 3,400 F110 engines had been delivered worldwide by 2026.

What's the difference between the F110-GE-129 and -132?

Thrust. The -129 is a 29,500 lbf engine used on F-16 Block 50/52, F-15K, F-15SG, and Japanese F-2 fighters. The -132 is a 32,000 lbf hot-section upgrade developed for the F-16 Block 60 Desert Falcon sold to the UAE and Bahrain — the most powerful single-engine fighter powerplant in service.

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