NGAP award shakes up industrial base

Five companies were awarded $975M contracts for the prototyping phase of the NGAP (Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion) by the Pentagon. Both GE and Pratt & Whitney have been testing engines under the ADVENT/AETP programs. They've "flown" engines in test cells for "hundreds of hours" to date. In a major shakeup, in addition to GE and P&W, Lockheed, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman were awarded contracts. The contracts will focus on technology maturation, risk reduction, prototype engine testing, and weapons integration work. It's thought that the inclusion of Lockheed, Boeing, and NG will be for design work on the airframes. Especially with a three stream engine, like NGAP, the airframe will need to be developed hand and hand with the engine, with design work on the airframe being done by the three companies, while GE and P&W working on the engines.

Work will be completed in July 2032.

The Air Force’s propulsion program tasked with producing engines for the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter awarded contracts to a mix of both engine-makers and aircraft-builders Aug. 19, hinting that integration could be a priority in the prototyping process.

Boeing, GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Pratt & Whitney all received indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts with a ceiling of $975 million for the prototyping phase of the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program.

As part of the contracts, those companies will focus on “technology maturation and risk reduction activities through design, analysis, rig testing, prototype engine testing, and weapon system integration,” the award states, with work expected to last until July 2032.

www.airforcemag.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

"future engine and fighter integrate seamlessly., "plug-and-play"

Seamless? As in they figured out the whole flex wing design.

Or.

They are taking multiple aircraft and plugging them together seamlessly. Like an Autobot? With interchangeable parts.

I kid, but I opt for number 2

a reply to: Bigburgh

Neither. They’re talking about the ability to change to an upgraded version of the engine and just swap it out.

a reply to: Zaphod58
If a demonstrator has flown in 2020, in fact it doesn't realy represent the NGAD futur airframe, if the work start now to design the airframe with the NGAP engine ?

a reply to: darksidius

Demonstrators rarely represent the final aircraft. Hence the name. They’re designed to demonstrate that the technologies will work as planned.