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Pratt & Whitney F119

Pratt & Whitney · Aircraft Engine · USA · Modern (1992–2009)

Pratt & Whitney F119 — Aircraft Engine
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The Pratt & Whitney F119 is an afterburning low-bypass turbofan developed for the U.S. Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, which produced the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The engine delivers thrust in the 35,000 lbf class and was the first production fighter powerplant designed for sustained supersonic cruise without afterburner — what the Air Force calls supercruise. The F119 lets the F-22 hold Mach 1.8 on dry thrust alone, a regime that earlier engines could only reach in full afterburner.

Pratt & Whitney's company designation for the engine is PW5000. It uses a 3-stage fan, a 6-stage high-pressure compressor, an annular combustor, a 1-stage high-pressure turbine, a 1-stage low-pressure turbine, and a 2-dimensional convergent-divergent thrust-vectoring nozzle. The pitch-axis nozzle deflects exhaust ±20 degrees up or down at supersonic speed, giving the F-22 pitch authority that no fixed-nozzle fighter can match. Roughly 500 F119 engines were built between 1997 and 2013, when production ended along with the F-22 line at 195 aircraft.

The F119 won the ATF engine competition against the General Electric YF120, which used a variable-cycle architecture switching between turbofan and turbojet modes. GE's design was technically more ambitious but considered higher-risk; Pratt's more conservative two-spool approach won the production contract in 1991. Both engines flew on the Lockheed YF-22 and Northrop YF-23 prototypes during the ATF fly-off.

Beyond the F-22, the F119 core became the direct ancestor of the much larger Pratt & Whitney F135 that powers the F-35 Lightning II. The F135 shares the F119's 3-stage fan and 6-stage HPC architecture but scales the core to 43,000 lbf, more than 22% above the F119's class rating. A derivative non-augmented variant, the F119-PW-611, powers the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider long-range-bomber program; details remain limited.

The F119 is no longer in serial production but Pratt & Whitney continues to support the in-service fleet under long-term sustainment contracts with the Air Force. The Air Force has studied upgrades to extend service life into the 2040s, including improvements to the hot section and full-authority digital engine control software. The successor for sixth-generation U.S. fighters is being developed under the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program, with both Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace bidding adaptive three-stream architectures derived from the AETP demonstrators (XA100/XA101).

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Pratt & Whitney F119 is a powerful jet engine. It was made just for one plane: the F-22 Raptor. The F-22 is a top American fighter jet. The engine gives the Raptor amazing speed and control.

Most jet engines need a special boost called afterburner to go supersonic. The F119 is different. It can fly faster than the speed of sound without that extra boost. Pilots call this "supercruise." It saves fuel and keeps the plane harder to detect.

The F119 has a special nozzle at the back. This nozzle can tilt up or down by 20 degrees. That helps the pilot turn and climb in ways other fighters cannot match. It works like a built-in steering tool for the exhaust.

About 500 of these engines were made between 1997 and 2013. Each one went into an F-22 Raptor. Only 195 F-22 planes were ever built. That made the F119 one of the rarest fighter engines ever made.

Fun Facts

  • The F119 can push a fighter jet faster than the speed of sound without using its afterburner at all.
  • The engine's exhaust nozzle tilts up or down 20 degrees — like a movable tail fin made of fire.
  • The F119 is heavier than a full-grown polar bear, yet fits inside a fighter jet.
  • Pratt & Whitney also called this engine the PW5000 inside the company.
  • The F119 beat out a rival engine from General Electric to power the F-22.
  • Only about 500 of these engines were ever built, making them very rare.
  • The F119 was the very first fighter engine designed to cruise at supersonic speed without extra boost.
  • Production of the F119 stopped in 2013 when the last F-22 was finished.

Kids’ Questions

What makes the F119 engine special?

The F119 can fly faster than sound without using its afterburner. Most engines need that extra boost to go that fast. The F119 does it on normal power alone. That makes it very different from older jet engines.

What is a thrust-vectoring nozzle?

It is the opening at the back of the engine where hot gases shoot out. On the F119, this opening can tilt up or down. That helps the pilot steer the plane more easily. It is like being able to aim the engine's push in different directions.

Which plane uses the F119 engine?

The F119 is used only in the F-22 Raptor. No other plane has ever used this engine. About 195 F-22 jets were built in total. That means the F119 is one of the rarest jet engines ever made.

Variants

F119-PW-100
The sole production variant. 35,000 lbf class afterburning thrust, 26,000 lbf dry. Two-dimensional thrust-vectoring nozzle deflects ±20 degrees in pitch. Roughly 500 built between 1997 and 2013 for the F-22 fleet.
YF119
Prototype variant flown on the Lockheed YF-22 and Northrop YF-23 ATF demonstrators in 1990. Selected over the GE YF120 for production in 1991.
F119-PW-611
Reduced-bypass, non-augmented derivative used in the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider program. Specifications remain limited in the public record.

Notable Operators

F-22 Raptor (2005-present)
The F-22 is the only fighter in service that uses the F119. Two engines per airframe. 195 F-22A airframes were built between 1997 and 2011, giving the fleet roughly 390 active engines plus spares. Operates with the U.S. Air Force only — Congress prohibited F-22 export under the 1998 Obey Amendment.
B-21 Raider (in development)
The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider long-range bomber is reported to use a derated F119 derivative known as the F119-PW-611. Specifications remain under wraps as of 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What aircraft use the Pratt & Whitney F119?

Only the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, which uses two F119-PW-100 engines per airframe. The Raptor is the sole production fighter built with the F119. A derated non-augmented variant, the F119-PW-611, is reported to power the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider long-range bomber, though specifications remain confidential (USAF F-22 fact sheet).

What is supercruise and why does the F119 enable it?

Supercruise is sustained supersonic flight without afterburner. Afterburners roughly double thrust but multiply fuel consumption by a factor of three or four, so legacy fighters can only stay supersonic for a few minutes before running their tanks dry. The F119's 35,000 lbf dry-thrust class and the F-22's low-drag airframe let the Raptor cruise at Mach 1.8 indefinitely without lighting the afterburners, extending engagement range, persistence, and fuel reserves for combat maneuvering.

How does thrust vectoring work on the F119?

The F119 has 2-dimensional convergent-divergent exhaust nozzles that deflect the jet ±20 degrees up or down in pitch. This adds an extra control axis on top of the F-22's aerodynamic surfaces, giving the Raptor pitch authority at angles of attack where conventional flight controls lose effectiveness. The nozzles also help mask the engine's hot-section infrared signature from below, contributing to the Raptor's all-aspect stealth.

How many F119 engines were built?

Roughly 500 were built between 1997 and 2013, when Pratt & Whitney closed the production line after the F-22 program ended at 195 airframes plus spares (Pratt & Whitney F119 page). The line could theoretically be reopened, but Congress capped F-22 production in 2009 and no F119 customer outside the F-22 program exists.

How does the F119 relate to the F-35's F135?

The F135 on the F-35 is a direct scale-up of the F119 architecture. Both engines share Pratt's 3-stage fan, 6-stage high-pressure compressor, and twin-shaft layout. The F135 grows the core to 43,000 lbf and adds a STOVL shaft-driven lift-fan variant for the F-35B. The F135 has no thrust-vectoring nozzle on the F-35A/C, while the F-35B variant uses a 3-bearing swivel nozzle for vertical landing.

Is there a successor to the F119?

Yes — the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program is developing an adaptive three-stream engine for the U.S. Air Force's sixth-generation Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter. Both Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace are competing with designs derived from the Adaptive Engine Transition Program demonstrators (XA101 and XA100 respectively). Service entry is targeted for the early 2030s.

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