Pratt & Whitney Re-Engined Air Guard F-16 Engines Boast A Year of Flawless Performance In Combat

A group of Air National Guard F-16 fighters, recently re-engined with new Pratt & Whitney (P&W) F100- PW-229 engines, has achieved a year of flying in which the engines have performed flawlessly -- a condition known as "Code One" (and better known to pilots as "Thank God").

The aircraft are of the "Block 42" F-16 configuration. Block 42 aircraft were originally built starting in 1988 and powered by P&W F100-PW-220 engines. The -229 retrofit program was initiated by the Air National Guard in 2000 to provide a more powerful engine and bring the Block 42 F-16s up to current combat capability. Thus far, 15 out of 51 aircraft have been re-engined.

"Demands on the Air National Guard are increasing, and the need for increased thrust and more reliable aircraft has never been greater," said Major General Harry M. Wyatt III, The Adjutant General, Oklahoma National Guard.

"Today, the Guard faces daunting challenges in supporting the war on terror as well as homeland security. Re-engining our Block 42 F-16s is one of the most cost-effective ways of supporting our airmen in their dynamic role."

The -220 engines that are removed from the F-16s are transferred to other Guard aircraft that fly earlier model F100 engines on their F-15As. "Passing the replaced engines on to these aircraft saves substantial money and advances the goal of modernizing aircraft across the fleet," Wyatt said.

Air National Guard units in Iowa, Ohio and Oklahoma operate Block 42 F-16s. As part of air expeditionary forces, units from the three states deploy together anywhere in the world where precision-guided weapons delivery may be needed. One recent deployment in which the newly re-engined aircraft operated included patrol of the no-fly zones in Iraq, just prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"The fact that these re-engined aircraft were Code One for an entire year while flying hundreds of combat sorties verifies the safety and reliability of the F100-PW-229 engine," said Lloyd "Fig" Newton, Senior Vice President, Military Customer Requirements and Support, P&W. "The -229 adds nearly 25 percent more thrust over the earlier F100-PW-220, giving the pilot additional margin to maneuver the aircraft away from such threats as enemy ground fire and other aircraft. If ever there were doubts about the wisdom of upgrading Guard F-16s with this engine, these deployments have erased them. This remarkable achievement underscores the benefits that will accrue to the Guard and the nation once all of the Block 42 F-16s have been re-engined."

The F100-PW-229 engine powers F-16 and F-15 fighters worldwide. In operational service since 1991, the -229 has the best fighter engine safety record in the U.S. Air Force.

Pratt & Whitney military engines are built and supported in facilities located in Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Models include the F119 powering the F/A-22 Raptor; the F135 for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; the F117 for the C-17 Globemaster III; the F100 for F-15 and F-16 fighters; the J52 for the EA-6B Prowler; the TF33 powering AWACS, Joint STARS, B-52, C-141 and KC-135 aircraft; the PT6 for T- 6A, C-12, T-34C and UH-1N aircraft; and the JT15 for the T-1A, UC-35A, and the Pegasus UCAV.

FMI: www.pw.utc.com