The Air Force and the Great Engine War

by Robert W. Drewes

Highly publicized accounts of abuse in military weapons procurement have raised both citizen awareness of and citizen concern with the properly monitored spending of US defense dollars. Not long ago, media reports of spare parts overpricing and related problems ignited harsh public criticism of the handling of the multibillion dollar defense contracts for the F100 jet engine. According to Colonel Robert Drewes, US Air Force, though, the outcome of the subsequent "Great Engine War" calls not for criticism, but for praise for the Department of Defense. Long before the public became aware of the controversy, the Air Force was grappling with the problems of the F100 high performance engine and the contract for its procurement and maintenance. As difficulties mounted in negotiations with the sole-source supplier, the Air Force, Navy, and Congress held their ground and eventually prevailed. The account of their combined efforts is an encouraging story about the Department of Defense and the US Government "setting things right," a story that has not been fully told before. The case is not closed on jet engine contracting, or any other kind of defense contracting, but the Great Engine War is welcome reassurance that US defense dollars --closely monitored-- will be spent wisely. Bradley C. Hosmer Lieutenant General, US Air Force President, National Defense University

196 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2005

Reviews

[Matt Caris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed and well researched, this book explains the story of Pratt and Whitney’s F100 engine - the challenges in its development and fielding and how those challenges (plus Pratt’s own poorly managed USAF relationship) led the Air Force to restart a competition that led to the F110 engine. The lessons aren’t wildly different from other defense acquisition case studies - competition, the need for strong personal working relationships between industry and customers, the challenges of fielding new systems that push the limits of technology - but it’s a good review of this particular incident.