Overview: The U.S. Air Force is progressing with the development of a next-generation fighter engine, as evidenced by recent contract awards to manufacturers GE Aerospace and RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney under the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. The contracts were announced by the service on Monday evening.
Increased Contract Value: The new awards increase the total potential contract value for both companies from $975 million to a ceiling of $3.5 billion each. While no funds are being issued at this time, the contracts are expected to support work that will be completed by July 2032.
Role in Future Fighter Development: The NGAP program is designed to produce the engine that will power the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter. However, development on the sixth-generation aircraft is currently paused pending further decisions from the Trump administration. Under the NGAP competition, GE and Pratt & Whitney are expected to manufacture full prototypes, with plans to eventually select one vendor for ongoing development.
Company Responses: A representative from GE did not comment on the announcement. However, a spokesperson from Pratt stated that the company is collaborating closely with the Air Force to meet NGAP program commitments and is on track for major milestones.
Budget and Development Timeline: According to fiscal 2025 budget documents, the Air Force intends to allocate approximately $1.3 billion by FY27 to complete the NGAP engine’s development. Subsequent efforts will likely focus on additional assessments and preparing the engine for production. This initiative builds on past efforts from the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP), which aimed to develop prototype engines for the F-35 before being discontinued in 2023.
Technical Advancements: The NGAP program leverages adaptive technologies aimed at enhancing thrust and fuel efficiency, with potential to revolutionize propulsion systems. GE and Pratt & Whitney are progressing in their development, with GE’s XA102 nearing completion of detailed design and Pratt’s XA103 having recently passed a critical assessment moving towards its detailed design review.
Cost Considerations: Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has highlighted the NGAP powerplant as a possible avenue for cost savings in the NGAD fighter program. Reducing engine complexity could be a strategy to lower the overall projected costs for the fighter, which are estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars per unit.
Analysis and Future Outlook: Recent internal analysis by the Air Force confirmed the need for a manned sixth-generation fighter, while potential increases in defense spending proposed by Republican leaders in Congress could alleviate ongoing budget concerns.
Conclusion: The contract awards for the NGAP program mark a significant step forward in the U.S. Air Force’s plans for next-generation air combat capabilities. As both manufacturers work towards prototype development, the program has the potential to play a critical role in the future of military aviation and air dominance. Meanwhile, the Air Force continues to issue contract awards despite broader funding uncertainties.