GE Aerospace and Kratos Turbine Technologies, a division of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, are launching a joint development program for small turbofan engines to support the next generation of affordable drones and uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA).
This builds on their effort announced two years ago to produce small turbofan engines for expendable vehicles, starting with the 800-pound-thrust GEK800 for cruise missiles.
Now the partners have revealed plans to produce the GEK1500, a 1,500-pound-thrust engine intended to power reusable aircraft in uncrewed combat applications such as CCAs. The U.S. Air Force's Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative calls for CCAs—also known as “loyal wingman” vehicles—to operate alongside a future crewed fighter platform.
Slightly larger than the GEK800, the GEK1500 is intended “for the lower end of the CCA market,” Steve “Doogie” Russell, v-p and general manager at GE Aerospace Edison Works, said during pre-Paris Air Show media briefing at the company’s Evendale, Ohio headquarters.
The first GEK1500 engine prototype is slated for demonstration in 2026, noted Mark Rettig, v-p and general manager of GE Aerospace’s Edison Works Advanced Programs.
Meanwhile, a GEK800 demonstrator is undergoing testing at GE Aerospace's Evandale facility, and the company is also preparing to build the first production-conforming engine in December or January, according to Craig Young, GE’s executive engineering director for hypersonic propulsion and small UAV engines. He noted that the GEK800 passed a critical design review last month.