Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. and GE Aerospace announced that they have started altitude testing on its GEK800 small engine designed to power the next generation of affordable unmanned aerial systems and CCA-type aircraft. The testing began at an altitude test facility at Purdue University's Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories. The GEK800 is an 800-lb jet engine that could potentially power unmanned aerial systems (UAS), collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), and missiles.
Initially developed and ground tested by Kratos over the course of a decade, Kratos and GE Aerospace began working together in 2023 to complete additional development efforts and testing on the engine and have completed more than 50 engine starts in ground testing at Kratos and GE Aerospace testing facilities. The altitude testing will focus on an altitude window between 5,000-35,000 feet and is anticipated to be complete by the end of the year. GE Aerospace, Kratos, and Purdue University have been collaborating for the last few months on the engine testing, which will be the first engine to test at newly expanded ZL9 test facility at Zucrow Labs.
In June, Kratos and GE aerospace announced the signing of a formal teaming agreement to advance propulsion technologies for the next generation of affordable unmanned Aerial systems and CCA- type aircraft. This collaboration strengthens the companies' ongoing partnership and builds on last year's Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance the development and production of small, cost-effective engines for unmanned platforms. The new teaming agreement expands on that MOU and provides the framework for the two companies to develop, manufacture, test, and field the GEK800 engine. Kratos brings more than 25 years of experience developing and producing small, affordable engines for UAS, drones, and missile platforms. GE Aerospace adds a century of expertise in propulsion technology and the ability to scale advanced designs into high-rate production -- helping bridge the gap from prototype to deployment.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets. It operates through two segments: Kratos Government Solutions (KGS) and Unmanned Systems (US). The KGS segment includes its microwave electronic products, space, satellite and cyber, training solutions, command, control, communication, computing, combat, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR)/modular systems, turbine technologies, and defense and rocket support services operating segments. The US segment consists of its unmanned aerial, unmanned ground, unmanned seaborne and related command, control and communications system businesses. Its KGS and US segments provide products, solutions and services for mission-critical National Security programs. KGS and US customers primarily include National Security-related agencies, the DoD, intelligence agencies and classified agencies, and others.
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