The Air Force saw the F101 DFE as a potential alternative to the F100 and also a way to coerce better performance from Pratt & Whitney in addressing issues with the F100.

In 1982, the Air Force began the full-scale development of the F101 DFE as an option to compete with the F100 for application in future F-15 and F-16 production; the engine was eventually selected for the F-16 and designated F110-GE-100.

The threat by the F110 has been cited as a reason for Pratt & Whitney to more quickly rectify the issues affecting the F100 and developing the improved F100-PW-220 variant.

[5] The F101 DFE was also tested in the F-14B prototype in 1981, and the aircraft saw considerable performance improvement over the existing Pratt & Whitney TF30.

[6] Although further testing was halted by the Navy in 1982, it would use the results of the Air Force's AFE evaluation to choose the powerplant for future F-14s.

The fan and inlet guide vanes were designed to smooth airflow to increase resistance to compressor stalls.

The engine has an electronic and hydromechanical control system that make it more forgiving of rapid throttle inputs.

[8] In the mid-1980s, the Air Force sought greater power for its tactical fighters and began Improved Performance Engine (IPE) programs for the F100 and F110, with the goal of achieving thrust in the 29,000 lbf (129 kN) class, while retaining the durability improvements achieved in the F100-PW-220 and F110-GE-100.

Compared to the F110-100, the -129 incorporated component improvements, including a full authority digital engine control (FADEC), that allowed maximum thrust to be achieved in a wider range of conditions and across larger portions of the flight envelope, while retaining 80% commonality; bypass ratio was reduced to 0.76.

The -132 produces 19,000 lbf (84.5 kN) of thrust in intermediate power and 32,500 lbf (144.6 kN) in afterburner but can also be tuned to run at -129 thrust levels to increase inspection intervals from 4,300 cycles to 6,000; the older -129 can be upgraded to the -132 configuration, with the new fan being a modular component.

After reviewing the results of the Air Force's AFE evaluation, the Navy would choose the F101 DFE to re-engine the F-14 in 1984, with the variant designated the F110-GE-400; the primary difference between the -400 and the Air Force's F110-GE-100 is length — the -400 had a 50-inch (1.3 m) tailpipe extension to suit the F-14 airframe, which was fitted downstream of the augmentor.

During initial years of service, the -400's lengthened tailpipe created unanticipated hot spots in the afterburner liner, resulting in the loss of several F-14s before the issue was rectified.

[21] This was similar to the F-14's originally intended F401 and provided a significant increase over the TF30's maximum uninstalled thrust of 20,900 lbf (93 kN).

[28] Although the Air Force chose the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 as the IPE for the F-15E Strike Eagle, a pair of F110-GE-129s were mounted on one aircraft for flight testing.