CINCINNATI - GE Aerospace in Cincinnati has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to complete the preliminary design review of its new GE426 engine for the service’s medium thrust class Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) program. Contract terms were not disclosed.
The GE426 is a next-generation propulsion system designed for uncrewed, autonomous combat aircraft, intended to operate alongside crewed fighter aircraft. The engine is being developed to meet Air Force requirements for affordability, scalability, manufacturability, and operational performance in future autonomous combat systems.
The Air Force’s ACP initiative is part of the service’s broader push toward Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA, programs focused on fielding AI-enabled autonomous aircraft that can fly with crewed fighters such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and future next-generation combat aircraft. The service envisions autonomous aircraft performing missions including sensing, electronic warfare, strike support, decoy operations, and weapons carriage while reducing risk to human pilots.
Related: Lockheed Martin to Build 145 New F-35 jet fighter aircraft, Avionics, and Sensors in $11.8 Billion Deal
The medium-thrust-class category is intended for larger and more capable autonomous aircraft than earlier attritable drone designs, with greater range, payload capacity, survivability, and endurance for operations in contested environments.
GE Aerospace officials say the award follows the company’s successful completion of the GE426 concept design review in August 2025, which validated the engine’s architecture and advanced the design toward prototype development.
Under the new contract, the company will mature the GE426 prototype engine through preliminary design review while refining system capability, producibility, and lifecycle cost.
Steve "Doogie" Russell, vice president and general manager of Edison Works at GE Aerospace, said the company plans to apply lessons learned from earlier rapid engine development efforts to the GE426 program to provide the performance, affordability, and readiness required by future Air Force autonomous combat platforms.
GE Aerospace continues to invest in small- and medium-class propulsion systems for autonomous collaborative aircraft and related defense applications. Its portfolio includes the GEK800 and GEK1500 engines, developed in partnership with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions.
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Autonomous Collaborative Platform effort seeks to develop autonomous systems capable of operating as coordinated teams alongside crewed aircraft. The broader initiative reflects the Air Force's growing emphasis on distributed operations, autonomous teaming, and lower-cost combat mass for future peer conflicts.
