Air Force Awards $4.9 Billion for Next-Gen Adaptive Jet Engine

The Pentagon is considering a new adaptive engine replacement for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, to increase range, thrust, and power management. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force / Capt. Kip Sumner]

The U.S. Air Force has awarded $4.9 billion in contracts to five companies for the development of an adaptive engine prototype to power its next-generation fighter jet.

The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts announced August 19 by the U.S. Department of Defense were awarded to General Electric Aviation (NYSE: GE), Pratt & Whitney Engines (NYSE: RTX), Boeing (NYSE: BA), Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC).

Each award, which is worth up to $975 million, is for design, analysis, rig testing, prototype engine testing, and weapon system integration. The work is to be completed by July 2032.

"The contract is for the execution of the prototype phase of the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program and is focused on delivering capability enabling propulsion systems for future air dominance platforms and digitally transforming the propulsion industrial base,” the award notice said.

READ MORE: Air Force Official: U.S. Needs New F-35 Engine To Prevent ‘Stagnating’

The contract award comes as defense officials consider a new adaptive engine replacement for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, in order to increase its range, thrust for combat missions, and power management.

The Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) is considering two potential engines for the F-35 modernization effort: the GE Aviation XA100 and Pratt & Whitney XA101. Defense officials are expected to make a final decision on the replacement by fiscal year 2024.

READ MORE: Air Force’s 6th-Gen Fighter Now In Development, Kendall Confirms

The Air Force’s secret Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program that is slated to replace aging, mass-produced fighters has progressed from an experimental concept into development and could be operational by the end of the decade, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said earlier this summer.

The inclusion of aircraft manufacturers Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing in the lineup of award recipients for next-generation adaptive engine prototype contracts underscores the need for the seamless integration of the NGAD fighter platform and its engine, according to a report by Air Force Magazine.

“Any propulsion system has to be built and designed for the specific platform on which it’s operating," Mark J. Lewis, executive director of the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Institute, told the magazine. "And it’s especially true for these adaptive engine systems.”