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.