GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney have completed detailed design reviews for their competing adaptive-cycle engine prototypes under the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. GE finished its review on February 19, 2025, followed by Pratt & Whitney on February 20, marking the fourth stage in a six-phase development process.
The NGAP engines are designed to power Boeing’s F-47, the sixth-generation fighter selected in 2025 to succeed the F-22 Raptor under the Next Generation Air Dominance initiative. Each company received $3.5 billion contracts in January 2025 to procure, assemble, and test ground demonstrators, with testing planned for the late 2020s.
Pratt & Whitney’s XA103 engine, highlighted in a February 2026 video, features a third airflow stream for switching between high-thrust and high-efficiency modes. This supports greater range, thermal management, electricity generation for avionics and weapons, and maintains low observability. GE claims its NGAP design delivers 20 percent greater thrust, 25 percent improved fuel consumption, and 30 percent increased range.
Despite the progress, the program faces delays. Air Force fiscal 2026 budget documents indicate prototype completion will slip to mid-2030 due to supply chain issues, pushing back integration with early F-47 aircraft, which are slated for initial flight in 2028.