The F404 performance and reliability sets the standard for fighter engines.

More than 3700 F404 engines are in service, powering the aircraft of military services worldwide, including the F/A-18 Hornets of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps and the F-117 stealth fighters of the USAF. The F404-powered Hornets are also operated by the air forces of Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. F404 derivatives also power Singapore's A-4SU Super Skyhawk and Sweden's JAS 39 Gripen. The F404 has over 11 million flight hours of outstanding operating experience and is combat-proven.

Several international customers have selected the F404/RM12-powered JAS 39 Gripen for their fighter replacement programs. South Africa has 28 Gripens on order, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2005. Hungary has committed to lease 14 Gripens from the Swedish Air Force beginning in 2005. The Gripen is currently a candidate in several fighter competitions in around the world.

Continuing GE's commitment to technology infusion, another derivative of the F404 engine, the F404-GE-102 has been jointly developed by GE and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), to power the single-engine T-50 advanced jet trainer/light fighter being developed by KAI and Lockheed Martin. The F404-102 is a variant of the successful F404-402 with specific single-engine application reliability and redundancy features. A new control system with an advanced F414-based full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) has been incorporated. The T-50 ground and taxi test are in process, with first flight scheduled for third quarter 2002. The first production T-50 is scheduled for delivery in 2005.

In 1999, the F404-102D, a new F404 derivative, was selected to power the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/U.S. Air Force X-45B Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) currently under development by The Boeing Company. In addition to single-engine reliability features, low observable technology will also be incorporated into the F404-102D for the X-45B, which is scheduled to fly in 2005.

A derivative of the F404 also powers the India Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) flight test program which continues with the recent first flight of the second aircraft, TD-2. High-level Indian defense officials have also expressed their intent to procure 50 F404 engines to power the initial production aircraft. GE is currently in discussions with India about the potential incorporation of a FADEC in the engine for the production LCA.