{"id":708157,"date":"2026-05-08T10:39:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T08:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/general-electric-j85-engine-178-million-extension-t-38\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:38:11","slug":"general-electric-j85-motor-178-millionen-erweiterung-t-38","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/general-electric-j85-engine-178-million-extension-t-38\/","title":{"rendered":"$178 Millionen, um einen Motor von 1965 am Leben zu erhalten"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style><p>The General Electric J85 first ran on a test stand in 1956. Eisenhower was president. The Soviets had not yet launched Sputnik. Seventy years later, the same engine \u2014 virtually unchanged in its core architecture \u2014 is being kept alive by more than $178 million in Defense Logistics Agency engine-support orders under a contract running through 2030.<\/p>\n\n<p>It is, by some distance, one of the longest service careers of any military jet engine in history. And the Pentagon's reason for keeping it going is simple: the aircraft that depend on it are not retiring any time soon, and nobody wants to pay to redesign them.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f5f6f8;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:24px 0;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:15.5px;line-height:1.65\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#333\">Quick Facts<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0\"><strong>Engine:<\/strong> General Electric J85 (variants J85-GE-5, -13, -21)<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0\"><strong>First run:<\/strong> 1956<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0\"><strong>Thrust class:<\/strong> 2,950 lbf dry \/ 5,000 lbf with afterburner<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0\"><strong>Aircraft using J85:<\/strong> T-38 Talon, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/northrop-f-5\">F-5<\/a> Tiger II, A-37 Dragonfly<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0\"><strong>Active fleets:<\/strong> ~500 USAF T-38s + 200+ F-5s in 25 export air forces<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0\"><strong>New contract:<\/strong> $178 million+ in DLA orders since December 2024 \u2014 runs through 2030<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0\"><strong>Estimated retirement:<\/strong> Not before 2035 (T-7A replacement schedule)<\/p><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img data-opt-id=705150273  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/t-38-talon-trainer-j85.jpg\" alt=\"T-38 Talon supersonic trainer\" style=\"display:block;width:100%!important;max-width:100%!important;height:auto!important;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The T-38 Talon \u2014 flown by every USAF pilot since 1961 \u2014 runs on two J85s. Photo: USAF \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Engine That Wouldn't Die<\/h2>\n\n<p>The J85's design brief was simple: build the smallest possible afterburning turbojet that could power a target drone. GE delivered, the engine worked, and within five years it had been adopted for crewed aircraft \u2014 first the Northrop T-38 Talon trainer, then the F-5 Freedom Fighter, then the A-37 Dragonfly attack jet of Vietnam fame.<\/p>\n\n<p>What makes the J85 special is not its raw performance \u2014 many modern engines outperform it on every metric \u2014 but its sheer reliability and ease of maintenance. A J85 can be removed from a T-38 by two ground crew with hand tools in under three hours. Modern turbofans typically require a full hangar and overhead crane.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the Pentagon Keeps Buying It<\/h2>\n\n<p>The T-38 Talon is supposed to be replaced by the new Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, which uses a modern GE F404 derivative. But the T-7A's production schedule has slipped repeatedly, and the existing 500-aircraft T-38 fleet has to keep flying training sorties at the same rate while the changeover happens. That means continued spares, continued depot overhauls, and continued parts production \u2014 at $178 million across the next four years.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img data-opt-id=907529420  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/f-5-tiger-j85-engine.jpg\" alt=\"F-5 Tiger fighter\" style=\"display:block;width:100%!important;max-width:100%!important;height:auto!important;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">F-5 Tigers from 25 nations still rely on J85 production lines. The export market alone justifies the contract. Photo: USAF \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Export Math<\/h2>\n\n<p>Even if the USAF retired its J85 fleet tomorrow, GE would have a queue of customers asking for spares and overhauls. Twenty-five air forces still operate F-5 Tigers \u2014 Switzerland, Iran (yes, still flying its 1970s Tigers), Brazil, Singapore, Mexico, Turkey, and the United States itself, which uses Tigers as Navy aggressor aircraft. Every one of them needs J85 overhauls and parts on a rolling cycle.<\/p>\n\n<p>That makes the J85 the rare case where a 70-year-old design is more profitable to GE than some of its modern engines, simply because the development costs were paid off in the Kennedy administration. Every part and overhaul is essentially pure margin.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A 2030s Retirement, Maybe<\/h2>\n\n<p>The realistic retirement window for the J85 is somewhere in the late 2030s, when the T-7A finally reaches full operational tempo and the last F-5 squadrons either get European or American replacement aircraft. Until then, the engine that started its career powering target drones for Eisenhower will keep going \u2014 quietly, reliably, and at a price the Pentagon cannot find a reason to refuse.<\/p>\n\n<p><em>Sources: Defence Blog, US Air Force contract announcement, GE Aviation press release.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is the General Electric J85 engine?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The GE J85 is a compact military jet engine that first ran in 1956 and still powers trainers and fighters today. Producing about 2,950 lbf dry and 5,000 lbf with afterburner, it powers the T-38 Talon, F-5 Tiger II, and A-37 Dragonfly. Its simplicity lets a ground crew swap one with hand tools in under three hours.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why is the Pentagon still buying parts for a 1960s-era engine?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Because the aircraft that use the J85 are not retiring soon. The Defense Logistics Agency has placed more than 178 million dollars in J85 support orders under a contract running through 2030. With about 500 USAF T-38s and 200-plus F-5s worldwide still flying, sustaining the engine is cheaper than redesigning the aircraft.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What aircraft use the J85 engine?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The J85 powers the T-38 Talon jet trainer, the F-5 Tiger II fighter, and the A-37 Dragonfly. Roughly 500 USAF T-38s remain in service, plus more than 200 F-5s across some 25 export air forces, sustaining strong demand for spares, especially when events like a <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/what-happens-when-the-air-force-grounds-a-fleet\/\">fleet-wide grounding<\/a> keep the type in the spotlight.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why has the T-38 Talon not been replaced yet?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The T-38 is meant to be replaced by the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, which uses a modern GE F404 derivative, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/boeing-wont-bid-navy-ujts-t45-replacement\/\">T-7A program has faced repeated setbacks<\/a>. Meanwhile the existing 500-aircraft T-38 fleet must keep flying training sorties, requiring continued J85 spares and depot overhauls.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How long has the J85 been in service?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The J85 first ran on a test stand in 1956, before Sputnik, and remains in service nearly 70 years later, one of the longest careers of any military jet engine. Current contracts and export demand suggest it will not retire before the 2030s at the earliest.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the General Electric J85 engine?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The GE J85 is a compact military jet engine that first ran in 1956 and still powers trainers and fighters today. Producing about 2,950 lbf dry and 5,000 lbf with afterburner, it powers the T-38 Talon, F-5 Tiger II, and A-37 Dragonfly. Its simplicity lets a ground crew swap one with hand tools in under three hours.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is the Pentagon still buying parts for a 1960s-era engine?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Because the aircraft that use the J85 are not retiring soon. The Defense Logistics Agency has placed more than 178 million dollars in J85 support orders under a contract running through 2030. With about 500 USAF T-38s and 200-plus F-5s worldwide still flying, sustaining the engine is cheaper than redesigning the aircraft.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What aircraft use the J85 engine?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The J85 powers the T-38 Talon jet trainer, the F-5 Tiger II fighter, and the A-37 Dragonfly. Roughly 500 USAF T-38s remain in service, plus more than 200 F-5s across some 25 export air forces, sustaining strong demand for spares, especially when events like a <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/what-happens-when-the-air-force-grounds-a-fleet\/\\\">fleet-wide grounding<\/a> keep the type in the spotlight.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why has the T-38 Talon not been replaced yet?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The T-38 is meant to be replaced by the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, which uses a modern GE F404 derivative, but the <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/boeing-wont-bid-navy-ujts-t45-replacement\/\\\">T-7A program has faced repeated setbacks<\/a>. 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Seventy years later, the same engine \u2014 virtually unchanged in its core architecture \u2014 is being kept alive by more than $178 million in Defense Logistics Agency engine-support orders under a contract running [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":708131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-708157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>GE J85: $178 Million to Keep the T-38&#039;s 1965 Engine Alive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The General Electric J85 first ran on a test stand in 1956. Eisenhower was president. 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