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USAF awards prototype-engine design contracts for CCAs to GE/Kratos and Honeywell

The U.S. Air Force has awarded prototype-design contracts to two industry teams to develop small turbofan engines for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and other unmanned systems. GE Aerospace with Kratos won $12.4 million to complete the GEK1500 preliminary design; Honeywell received a Propulsion Directorate award for its SkyShot 1600.

Discovered 2026-02-23T05:16:05.972254-08:00 | 2026-02-23T05:16:05.972254-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Solidifies an emerging engine‑maker competition to supply propulsion for CCAs and UAS: GE/Kratos received a $12.4M preliminary‑design award for the GEK1500 and Honeywell secured a SkyShot 1600 prototype‑design contract; this follows rising commercial bids in the CCA engine market (source:fba400bd-7463-493e-afd2-0b725a8b6693).

  • Ties propulsion development directly to accelerated CCA maturation: these awards occur as the USAF advances weapons integration and captive‑carry testing for CCAs, underlining the service’s push to mature engines alongside airframe and systems work (source:ccc77fec-28f2-49cc-969a-4a2acc98e82d).

  • Early design wins will shape industrial base, sustainment and supply‑chain needs for low‑thrust turbofans as the CCA effort advances through Round 2 selections and prototype phases (source:5e2dd41d-cfb4-4a8f-adb5-15f16c366393).

Reported By

Aviation A2Z aerospatium.info mrobusinesstoday.com news.defcros.com Defense & Security Monitor Aviation Week
Sources Tracked
36
First Seen
2026-02-23T05:16:05.972254-08:00
Latest Update
2026-03-01T13:53:49.649315-08:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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