Air Force Awards GE Aerospace Firm-Fixed-Price Engine Contract and Selects Rolls-Royce for Medium-Thrust Drone Propulsion

U.S. Air Force selected GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce to advance engine designs for Medium Thrust Class Autonomous Collaborative Platforms, an Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense. 0.

The initiative seeks solutions beyond traditional manned aircraft standards. The Air Force spokesperson did not disclose the dollar value of the award. GE Aerospace developed the smaller GEK800 engine with Kratos for drone and cruise missile applications.

Steve Russell, vice president and general manager of Edison Works at GE, said the company plans to apply that development process to the GE426. "We’ve proven we can rapidly move from concept to engine demonstration with the GEK800 and our focus now is on applying that process to the GE426 to ensure it provides the performance, affordability, and readiness the warfighter needs," Russell said.

Rolls-Royce’s award has not been publicly announced.

Candice Bineyard, director of business development and future programs for defense at Rolls-Royce, said the company would draw on its AE engine family to support autonomous aircraft requirements. S. Air Force will project combat airpower.

By leveraging our advanced AE engine family, we can move quickly to deliver the performance, electrical power, and reliability our warfighters need for operational advantage in contested environments," Bineyard said. The AE 3007N engine from the AE family powers the Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray, which completed its first flight in April.

Drones are the initial focus of the engine contracts, though the Air Force spokesperson said other platforms with similar propulsion characteristics may also benefit.

The Air Force spokesperson did not immediately clarify whether Rolls-Royce’s contract uses the same firm-fixed price structure as GE Aerospace’s award.