Fighter Aircraft

MTU Aero Engines is one of the world’s leading companies in the development and production of engines for combat aircraft. The company looks back on a long history of military jet engine construction: Initially, it engaged in the production under license of the German Air Force’s GE-J79s powering the Starfighter and F4 Phantom, also providing support for the engines. From 1969 on, MTU partnered with Rolls-Royce and Avio Aero to design and manufacture the first “European” engine, the RB199 for the Tornado multi-role combat aircraft. Moreover, MTU had a workshare in the Larzac 04 powering the Alpha Jet, producing about 25 percent of the parts.

With a workshare of some 30 percent, MTU also plays a major role in the success of the EJ200 engine powering the Eurofighter Typhoon. Always ready to take on new challenges and engage in partnerships, MTU was given an opportunity to take production stakes in a number of U.S. engine programs (F110 and F414) for the F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighter aircraft.

Joining forces with Safran Aircraft Engines, MTU will carry out the design, development, production and support of the propulsion system for the Next Generation Fighter, or NGF for short, in the decades ahead. The engine, dubbed Next European Fighter Engine (NEFE), will play a key role in the military engine business in Europe over the next few decades. As part of the partnership, MTU will assume responsibility for the high-pressure compressor, low-pressure compressor, low-pressure turbine and control systems, these technologies being its core competencies, and provide support for the engine throughout its lifetime, from its development through its in-service phase.