GE Aerospace and Kratos have secured a U.S. Air Force Engineering, Manufacturing and Development contract for the GEK800 engine, which has also received the military type designation F143-ZZ-100. The 800-pound-thrust turbofan is being developed as a second-source propulsion system for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, with the companies positioning it for use in other uncrewed applications as well.
The San Diego-datelined announcement places the engine programme in a more advanced phase after earlier testing milestones, including more than 50 ground starts and altitude trials completed in 2025 at Purdue University’s Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories. The partnership between the two companies began in 2023 and is aimed at producing compact, low-cost engines for cruise missiles, collaborative combat aircraft and other unmanned platforms.
GEK800’s new designation gives the U.S. military a named engine configuration for the programme, while the EMD award moves it closer to production. The aircraft and missile industry has been under pressure to expand supply options for missile-class propulsion, and the GEK800 is now one of the few publicly identified efforts targeting that niche with both Air Force backing and a defined second-source role for JASSM.