To advance the program for its future sixth-generation fighter, the NGAD, the U.S. Air Force has announced the awarding of two new contracts worth $7 billion. These contracts aim to drive the development of new engines for the aircraft. This was communicated yesterday by the Department of Defense, which detailed that General Electric and Raytheon Technologies will be responsible for carrying out the work.

Providing further details, the contract awarded to General Electric has been outlined “for technology maturation and risk reduction services for the execution of the prototype phase of the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program.” The work will be conducted at the company’s facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio. The budget ceiling for this contract is set at $3.5 billion, with the contracting party being the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, also located in Ohio. For now, this stage of work is expected to conclude by July 11, 2032.

It is worth highlighting that the company is focusing on developing its “XA100” design to equip the future NGAD. According to General Electric, the adaptive engine under development is benefiting from constant feedback from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located near GE’s facilities. This collaboration has reportedly allowed the company to gather more data during the initial prototype testing phase. Among the few known features of the engine, General Electric has stated that the new adaptive motor will enable an operational range up to 30% greater than that of current engines.

As for the agreement signed with Raytheon Technologies, which will participate through its subsidiary Pratt & Whitney Engines, the focus will be on advancing the “design, analysis, platform testing, construction and testing of engine prototypes, and integration of weapon systems” for the future sixth-generation platform. Similar to the prior contract, the expenditure ceiling for this initiative is also $3.5 billion (a significant increase from the $975 million invested so far). This contract specifies the delivery of a prototype for the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program. Notably, this work will be carried out in East Hartford, Connecticut, with an expected completion date of July 13, 2032.

Finally, it should be noted that while both contracts represent a significant financial commitment, the U.S. Air Force has repeatedly expressed its intent to restructure the NGAD program to reduce associated costs. One of the most prominent voices on this matter has been Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who, in September 2024, stated that the unit price of a sixth-generation fighter should be set nearly on par with the cost of an F-35 fighter, translating to approximately $80 to $100 million. To advance these efforts, the Air Force has already established a new expert commission to assess the program’s status, with the restructuring expected to be completed by fiscal year 2026.

*Images used for illustrative purposes

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