Turkish flight

The Turkish Air Force (TuAF) has ordered F110-GE-129B engines to power 30 of its new Lockheed Martin F-16E/F aircraft.

It also announced plans to invest in the F110 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP).

SLEP hardware upgrades include the core of the CFM56-7 commercial engine, 3D aerodynamic technology and a redesigned flowpath.

The latest order brings the TuAF’s fleet to 200 aircraft, and makes it the second largest F110/F-16 operator behind the United States Air Force.

As part of its SLEP program, the US government awarded GE contracts worth $220m to upgrade more than 340 F110 engines for F-16C/D aircraft, which it estimates could save it more than $1bn over the program life.

Other countries currently expressing interest in the F110 SLEP configuration include Bahrain, Israel and Japan.