U.S.A.F. Orders GE F-15EX Engines for $1.6B

The U.S. Air Force has awarded General Atomics $1.6 billion for the supply of F110-129 engines that power the F-15EX Eagle II fighters.

GE F110-129 engines powered the first lot of eight F-15EX aircraft.

The contract includes all options for the F-15EX Lots 2+ propulsion system procurement. It provides for 29 F110-GE-129 engines (installs and spares) for the F-15EX fleet, a U.S. DoD release today said.

The contract includes seven additional options for the purchase of a most-probable quantity of 329 engines with the final delivery occurring in 2031.

General Electric beat out Pratt & Whitney which produced F100 engines for the legacy F-15 Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagle to bag the contract. The latter had offered the latest version of the F100, the F100-PW-229.

Initial deliveries will begin in October 2023.

Over the next 10 years, these projected deliveries will support the production of 136 F-15EX aircraft to meet the Air Force’s projected demand.

The F-15EX is the latest version of the proven, twin-engine F-15 fighter. It features upgrades with fly-by-wire controls, digital cockpit displays, advanced avionics, and the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS).

The F-15EX also has an open mission systems (OMS) design with a high-speed optical bus — a digital backbone that will allow for the rapid insertion of new and future capabilities.

Designed to replace F-15C/D aircraft, which have been in service for more than 30 years, the F-15EX capitalizes on more than $5 billion in recent Foreign Military Sales and United States Air Force investments.

This acquisition of a major F-15EX subsystem embraced the challenge through a demanding engine competition that further reduced production costs, while still supporting the program’s aggressive delivery schedule.

“The United States Air Force is proud to partner with General Electric as our engine manufacturer that will power America’s newest, advanced F-15 aircraft,” said Brig. Gen. Dale R. White. “As the program executive officer of fighters and advanced aircraft, I am laser-focused on ensuring the rapid delivery of this new aircraft to our warfighters,” White added. “Not only will it reduce sustainment costs and drive down risk as it replaces our aging F-15C/D fleet, it will also deliver new capabilities that complement the existing and future TACAIR (tactical air) portfolio.”