Fighter Engine Team

The Case for JSF Engine Competition

The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is the largest military aircraft procurement program in U.S. history – with engine costs alone expected to exceed $100 billion (U.S.) over the next several decades.

History shows that two engine companies competing head-to-head for business on the same highly procured, single-engine fighter jet will drive down acquisition and support costs, increase contractor responsiveness, and improve engine reliability.

Simply put: Investing in two competing JSF engines will more than pay for itself over time – while improving aircraft readiness and performance.

Case in point: "The Great Engine War" established in the 1980s. Dissatisfied with relying on one engine supplier for its F-15 and F-16 fighter fleets, the U.S. Air Force invested in a second engine, and annually competed engine production contracts. Exceeding expectations, the USAF realized:

  • 21 percent reduction in engine prices
  • Tenfold improvement in stall/stagnation rate
  • Doubling of on-wing engine time
  • Tripling of time between scheduled engine overhauls
  • 50 percent reduction in engine-caused aircraft losses

More than 20 years later, "The Great Engine War" is far from over – with two competing engines vying for F-16 and F-15 business worldwide – while greatly improving the competitiveness of those fighter aircraft.

Given the JSF program's sheer size, expected longevity, and global reach, competing engines would create similar opportunities. This is why the U.S. Congress since 1996 has invested more than $2 billion (U.S.) invested to date for a second, competing JSF engine.

A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study concluded that the initial investment in a second JSF engine would be recovered with simply a 10 percent overall savings driven by competition. The GAO added: "DOD-commissioned reports and other officials have said that nonfinancial benefits in terms of better engine performance and reliability, improved industrial base stability, and more responsive contractors are more likely outcomes under a competitive environment than under a sole-source strategy."

As the F-35 replaces the A-10, AV-8B Harrier, F-16 and F-18, new military engine development programs will greatly diminish – with JSF derivative engines likely meeting most future bomber and fighter requirements.