GE Aerospace and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions have received a U.S. Air Force Engineering, Manufacturing and Development contract for the F143-ZZ-100, a second-source propulsion system for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. The engine, derived from the GEK800 turbofan, carries the military designation F143-ZZ-100 and is intended to broaden the supply base for JASSM rather than replace the existing supplier.
The companies began work in 2023 under Air Force Research Laboratory-backed Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction funding, with testing carried out at Kratos, GE Aerospace and Purdue University’s Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories. More than 50 engine starts were completed during ground testing before the programme moved into EMD, and altitude testing was finished in 2025.
The award follows a multi-year development effort aimed at compact, lower-cost missile propulsion, with potential use beyond JASSM in other missile and uncrewed-platform applications. Neither company disclosed the contract value, the programme duration or a production target date.