The Air Force's Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program is advancing into the prototyping phase, with General Electric and Pratt & Whitney both receiving awards of up to $3.5 billion to carry-out existing contracts, the Pentagon announced Monday evening.
The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity modification contract reduces the total number of vendors proceeding with NGAP to two, cutting Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman from the competition.
“The work includes design, analysis, rig testing, prototype engine build and testing and weapon system integration,” according to the announcement. “The contract modification is for the execution of the prototype phase of the NGAP program and is focused on delivering a state-of-the-art propulsion system with a flexible architecture that can be tailored for future combat aircraft operating across various mission threads; and digitally transforming the propulsion industrial base.”
No funds are being released to either company at the time of the award, the Pentagon stated.
In August of 2022, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman were each awarded $975 million to begin NGAP technology-maturation and risk-reduction services. Today’s announcement brings the cumulative contract value for each up to $3.5 billion and dwindles the vendor options down to just GE and Pratt.
The defense primes will have until July 2032 to execute their platform-agnostic designs, with the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center as the contracting authority.
The NGAP program was in part born out of the now-obsolete Adaptive Engine Transition Program, which was intended to find a design to re-engine the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with an alternative that required less energy, had greater thrust and could fly for longer periods.
Pratt & Whitney and General Electric were the two top contenders for the AETP competition as well.