AURORA, Colo., February 24, 2026 – GE Aerospace has secured a contract from the Defense Logistics Agency to enhance readiness of the J85 engine, which powers the U.S. Air Force’s primary trainer aircraft, the T-38 Talon. The agreement provides fleet management and supply optimization services to sustain the Air Force’s pilot training mission.
This marks GE Aerospace’s first digitally enabled TrueChoice Defense contract for the J85 engine. The base period lasts seven months, followed by an optional four-year, five-month extension. The program integrates artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics to consolidate data from the U.S. Air Force, Defense Logistics Agency, and GE Aerospace. This platform forecasts parts demand, detects supply chain constraints, and delivers a unified operational view for accelerated decision-making and efficient engine sustainment.
“This contract directly supports increased readiness for the J85 engine and the U.S. Air Force’s primary training fleet,” said Asha Belarski, general manager of customer support and sustainment for Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace. “By integrating data across the enterprise and applying AI to predict demand and identify constraints earlier, we are helping the Air Force keep more aircraft available to ensure our airmen get the training required to execute on their mission.”
The initiative builds on a pilot program that unified data from organizations managing over 6,000 J85 parts, proving advanced analytics improves supply chain visibility, cuts delays, and enables proactive maintenance. GE Aerospace partners with Palantir, combining aerospace engineering, data integration, and AI to boost parts availability and decision speed across the J85 ecosystem.