GE Aerospace has secured a contract from the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit to provide a liquid-fueled hypersonic test vehicle under the Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities program.
As prime contractor, the company will integrate an all-up round hypersonic vehicle utilizing a dual-mode ramjet propulsion system capable of operating at both subsonic and supersonic speeds, with the next phase of the 24-month contract including flight testing. This is stated in the GE Aerospace press release
Steve “Doogie” Russell, vice president and general manager of GE’s Edison Works unit, noted that while the firm is serving as the full integrator for this test bed project, its long-term vision remains focused on acting as a propulsion solution provider across the high-speed spectrum rather than manufacturing end-item hypersonic weapons.
In a separate announcement, the Pentagon awarded GE Aerospace a performance-based logistics contract valued at up to nearly $2.9 billion to supply engine parts for the F414 engine through August 2031. The F414 powers the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft. Company executives stated that GE is simultaneously managing a production shift from the F414 to the older F404 engine—which powers the Air Force’s T-7 Red Hawk trainer—with plans to roughly double F404 output over the next five years. To meet scaling demands amid ongoing supply chain challenges, GE is exploring commercial-off-the-shelf standards and incorporating additive manufacturing for legacy engine components, according to Breaking Defense.
