GE Aerospace awarded U.S. Air Force contract to advance GE426 engine for Autonomous Collaborative Platform

GE Aerospace has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force to complete the preliminary design review (PDR) for its new GE426 engine in support of the Air Force's medium thrust class Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) effort.

The GE426 is a next-generation propulsion system purpose-built for the medium-thrust-class ACP mission, delivering the performance, affordability, and manufacturability required for uncrewed, autonomous combat aircraft.

This award builds on GE Aerospace's previously demonstrated capability to rapidly design, manufacture, and test small engines in support of the Air Force's opportunities. In August 2025, GE Aerospace successfully completed the concept design review of the GE426, validating the engine's architecture and advancing its design.

Under this contract, GE Aerospace will mature the GE426 prototype engine through preliminary design review and further refine system capability, producibility, and cost while ensuring alignment with Air Force requirements for the medium-thrust-class ACP fleet.

"We've proven we can rapidly move from concept to engine demonstration with the GEK800, and our focus now is on applying that process to the GE426 to ensure it provides the performance, affordability, and readiness the warfighter needs," said Steve "Doogie" Russell, Vice President and General Manager of Edison Works at GE Aerospace.

GE Aerospace continues to invest in small, affordable engines that can be produced at scale to power autonomous combat platforms, collaborative combat aircraft, and other advanced applications. This growing portfolio also includes the GEK800 and GEK1500 engines developed in partnership with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. Together, these programmes reinforce GE Aerospace's commitment to delivering affordable, adaptable, high-performance propulsion solutions that align with the Air Force's evolving operational concepts.

The Air Force Research Laboratory's Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP) initiative focuses on developing advanced autonomous platforms that enable uncrewed systems to operate together as a coordinated team alongside crewed aircraft.

By leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, digital engineering tools, and more than 100 years of propulsion experience, GE Aerospace is accelerating the development of engines purpose-built to meet the unique performance, affordability, and scalability requirements of autonomous combat platforms.