Kratos and GE Aerospace win USAF EMD contract for JASSM engine
Kratos Defense and GE Aerospace have secured a US Air Force Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) contract for the GEK800 turbofan engine, which has simultaneously received the official military type designation F143-ZZ-100. The engine is being developed as a second-source propulsion option for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), one of the US military's primary long-range precision-strike weapons.
The two companies began collaborating in 2023, combining internal funding with support from the Air Force Research Laboratory under a Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase. Ground testing has now exceeded 50 engine starts across facilities operated by both firms, and in 2025 the joint team completed altitude testing at Purdue University's Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories. The F143 produces approximately 800 lb of thrust and is designed for long-range missile and uncrewed aerial vehicle applications.
The deal
Amy Gowder, President and CEO of GE Aerospace Defense and Systems, said the milestone reflected "years of disciplined engineering to deliver propulsion systems that meet the evolving, mission-critical requirements of our military customers." Kratos chief executive Eric DeMarco framed the contract in explicitly industrial terms, describing the programme as part of an effort to reindustrialise US manufacturing capacity for low-cost, rapidly manufacturable jet engines.
The EMD phase is a formal step in the US military acquisition process that moves a system from technology maturation toward production readiness. A second-source designation for JASSM propulsion is strategically significant: single-source supply chains for critical munitions components have drawn scrutiny from the Department of Defense and Congress following supply-chain stress revealed during and after the Ukraine conflict. Qualifying a second supplier for the engine reduces programme risk and, in principle, enables higher production rates.
Market context
The contest for small turbofan engines powering cruise missiles and uncrewed combat aircraft is intensifying. Williams International, which produces the F107 and F112 engines currently used across the JASSM family, has historically been the dominant supplier in this niche. The F143 programme positions Kratos and GE Aerospace as a credible alternative, backed by Air Force funding and an established military type designation, which gives procurement offices a clear contractual vehicle.
More broadly, the US defence industrial base is under pressure to scale munitions production quickly, with senior Pentagon officials publicly acknowledging that existing capacity is inadequate relative to high-end conflict scenarios. Small, affordable propulsion systems for expendable platforms sit at the intersection of two accelerating trends: the shift toward attritable uncrewed systems in contested airspace, and the drive to reduce per-unit weapon costs to enable higher-volume inventories. Export demand may also emerge: JASSM is cleared for a number of allied nations, and a dual-source engine market could simplify allied procurement.
Regulatory and standards read-across
The F143-ZZ-100 type designation itself carries regulatory weight. US military engine designations are assigned under MIL-HDBK-1822 procedures and are a prerequisite for inclusion in formal acquisition programmes. The EMD award now subjects the programme to the Cost Accounting Standards and earned-value management reporting requirements applicable to major defence contracts, adding visibility into programme performance for both the Air Force and investors. Both Kratos and GE Aerospace are publicly listed, and forward-looking statements in the release are subject to standard SEC safe-harbour disclaimers.
The next programme milestones to watch are completion of EMD testing, a production-readiness review, and any indication of whether the F143 will be pursued for applications beyond JASSM, including the broader family of collaborative combat aircraft programmes the Air Force is developing alongside crewed fighters.