Engines
With the Adaptive-cycle Engine, 'The Great Engine War' Resumes
GE and Pratt & Whitney are fighting for a place on the USAF Next Generation Air Dominance fighter.
GE XA100 engine
GE built the XA100 engine under the Adaptive Engine Transition Program. This engine would form the basis for U.S. military sixth-generation propulsion systems. (Photo: GE)

A repeat of one of the historical moments in the competition between the two major U.S. aero-engine firms—Pratt & Whitney and GE Aviation—is shaping up. This time the battle is over which company will build the U.S. Air Force (USAF) adaptive-cycle engine.

GE designed, built, and tested the XA100 under the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP). As one GE representative explained, it represents the basis for the sixth generation of propulsion systems for the U.S. military. The resulting production standard model derived from the XA100 would be the company’s bid for the USAF project.