US Air Force’s 6th-gen fighter NGAD hits milestone with engine design success

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US Air Force’s 6th-gen fighter NGAD hits milestone with engine design success

The U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter is one step closer to reality, as two proposed engines intended to power the aircraft have successfully passed a significant design review.

This milestone was recently announced by the defense firms involved in the development process.

General Electric Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney have completed detailed design reviews for their respective engines, referred to as XA102 and XA103.

This success allows the companies to move on to the next stage: developing prototype demonstration engines.

Engine design success

These engines are significant components of the Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program, which aims to provide the propulsion system for crewed fighters within the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative.

The engines feature adaptive technologies that enable aircraft to adjust their thrust configurations based on specific flight situations, offering range, and thermal management advantages compared to conventional engines.

Although adaptive technology was considered for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon ultimately opted to enhance the existing F-35 engines due to concerns over costs and compatibility across various F-35 models.

Both companies released statements emphasizing the innovative digital design techniques they employed during their review processes.

Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX, highlighted how its “collaborative digital environment” streamlined the engine design process.

This approach facilitated the electronic transmission of necessary data to reviewers, allowing for more efficient verification of the plans for the XA103 engine.

Jill Albertelli, the president of military engines for Pratt & Whitney, noted the importance of this first fully digital review in delivering advanced capabilities to warfighters.

Meanwhile, GE Aerospace praised the application of model-based systems engineering in designing the XA102 engine, calling it a transformative shift in the approach to advanced propulsion system testing and development.

Steve Russell, who leads GE Aerospace’s Edison Works division, expressed optimism about incorporating this innovative engineering approach as they move forward into the next phases of procurement and production.

U.S. Air Force’s 6th-gen fighter NGAD

In January, the Air Force announced contract modifications for both firms, increasing the ceiling for the prototype phase of the NGAP contracts to $3.5 billion each.

This new figure represents more than triple the original contract value of $975 million awarded to both firms in 2022.

With the design reviews now completed, the companies are beginning to acquire the hardware required for constructing their engines, with Pratt & Whitney anticipating that testing of its prototype will occur by the end of the decade.

However, questions remain about the future of the NGAD fighter program itself, especially after the Air Force placed the initiative on hold last summer due to escalating cost estimates.

This move initiated a review of alternative strategies to ensure air dominance at a reduced expense.

After the upcoming 2024 presidential election, then-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall decided to defer the decision regarding NGAD to the incoming administration.

However, studies conducted by the Air Force have indicated a clear need for such a program.

Additionally, the U.S. Navy recently awarded Pratt & Whitney a contract worth $186 million to support the sustainment of the F-35’s F135 engines.

This contract includes funding for materials and support for maintenance facilities.

Furthermore, Pratt & Whitney secured a substantial three-year, $1.5 billion contract in December to maintain the XA103 engines used in Air Force F-22 Raptors to enhance operational readiness and reduce costs associated with over 400 engines.

As defense firms continue to develop their engines and the Air Force reassesses its acquisition strategies, the path to realizing the NGAD fighter remains uncertain but is closely monitored by industry and military leaders.

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