The US Department of Defense has refused to allow Greece to select a 32,000lb thrust (142kN) engine to power the 50 Block 50 Plus Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds ordered this year. The Greek air force has been forced to accept a 28,000lb-thrust rated engine. As a result Athens has selected Pratt & Whitney's F100-229.
The extra thrust was required as the fighters will be fitted with conformal fuel tanks and operated in hot take-off conditions, say European industry sources. The engines may be upgradable to the higher thrust later. P&W's success overturns Greece's previous preference for General Electric's (GE) F100 engine for its new F-16 fleet.
Although GE was selected to provide its 32,000lb-thrust F110 for the United Arab Emirates Block 60s, P&W has won other recent F-16 powerplant orders from Israel and South Korea.
Source: Flight International
