IT security company Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. announced a memorandum of understanding between its Kratos Turbine Technologies division and GE Aerospace.
The two companies plan to develop and produce compact, affordable engines for unmanned aerial systems, collaborative combat aircraft, and related uses.
Kratos and GE Aerospace Combine Capabilities
The collaboration combines Kratos’ two decades of experience developing and producing small jet engines and GE Aerospace’s century-long history of scaling jet engine programs.
Kratos expects the agreement, which will focus on full-scale production, to replace a current partnership between the companies related to development efforts and testing.
Kratos and GE Aerospace: A Dream Team
Over the past year, the companies have collaborated on a small, cost-effective engine that Kratos initially developed and tested. The teams plan to conduct altitude tests on the engine at a GE Aerospace test cell in Ohio in 2025.
An "Invaluable” Partnership
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions CEO and President Eric DeMarco described the partnership as “invaluable” and said it builds on the company’s previous investments in jet engines.
Amy Gowder, GE Aerospace’s CEO and president of defense and systems, explained that the company’s defense customers are becoming more interested in small, affordable engines as their mission requirements evolve.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com / Jonathan Weiss
