The U.S. Air Force awarded a $1.579 billion contract to General Electric on October 29 for the purchase of GE F110-129 engines to equip 12 F-15EX Eagle II aircraft in Lot 2 and later.
This contract covers 29 F110-GE-129 engines (plus facilities and spares) for the F-15EX fleet and has a committed amount of more than $136 million by fiscal year 2021. The contract also provides for seven option lots for a potential quantity of 329 engines, totaling US$1,579,662,187.
First deliveries are scheduled for October 2023. If all options are executed, General Electric will have secured work on its F110-GE-129 engine production line for 10 years to meet USAF demand for 136 F-15EXs.
“We are honored to help the U.S. Air Force open a new chapter by providing reliable F110 power for the F-15EX,” said Shawn Warren, GE’s vice president and general manager of fighter and trainer engines. “The F110 production line is active today and ready to meet the U.S. Air Force’s urgent and compelling requirement for a propulsion system for the F-15EX. We are pleased with the engine performance on the two F-15EX test aircraft flying today, and we are excited to bring that performance to the entire planned fleet.”
The F110-GE-129 engine is the only proven engine integrated into the F-15EX. The current F110 engine benefits from decades of continuous technology investment and has more than three decades of operational experience. To date, more than 3,400 F110 engines have been delivered worldwide, accumulating more than 10.5 million flight hours. The engine powers all new production F-15s ordered in the last decade, as well as nearly 70 percent of the U.S. Air Force’s most advanced F-16C/D aircraft.
F-15EX, the new Eagle
The F-15EX is the latest version of the proven F-15 twin-engine fighter, designed to replace the F-15C/D aircraft, which have been in service for more than 30 years. Formally unveiled April 7, the Eagle II will perform primarily in the air-to-air arena, being the heavy companion to the F-35 Lightining II.
It features state-of-the-art upgrades with fly-by-wire controls, digital cockpit displays, advanced avionics and the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) advanced self-defense system.
The F-15EX also has an Open Mission Systems (OMS) design with a high-speed optical bus, a digital backbone that will allow rapid insertion of new and future capabilities.
Finally, it should be remembered that the F-15EX is a version developed specifically for the USAF by Boeing, derived directly from Qatar’s highly advanced F-15QA and Saudi Arabia’s F-15SA. The technological advances to be received by the USAF on the EX were virtually paid for by these Middle Eastern countries. In addition, both the F-15SA and F-15QA, as well as the first 8 F-15EXs are powered by F110-GE-129s, so the choice of General Electric over Pratt & Whitney was to be expected.
