Jane Edwards 
- Kratos and GE Aerospace have advanced their JASSM propulsion partnership with a new Air Force award
- The GEK800 engine has earned the U.S. military type designation F143-ZZ-100
- The 2026 Navy Summit will explore AI, digital engineering and more
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and GE Aerospace have received an engineering, manufacturing and development contract from the U.S. Air Force for the GEK800 engine.
As the Department of War works to expand industrial base capacity for critical weapons systems, government and industry leaders will gather at the Potomac Officers Club’s final DOW summit of the year. Register now for the 2026 Navy Summit on Aug. 27, and join experts as they discuss artificial intelligence, digital engineering, autonomous systems, network modernization, shipbuilding and other priorities shaping the future maritime force.
Kratos said Monday the Air Force’s award of the EMD contract coincided with the GEK800 engine’s receipt of the U.S. military type designation F143-ZZ-100.
What Is the Scope of the Air Force Contract?
Under the Air Force contract, Kratos and GE Aerospace will complete the engineering, manufacturing and development of the GEK800 turbofan as a second-source propulsion system for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM. The program is intended to deliver small, low-cost, high-performance engines for cruise missiles, collaborative combat-type aircraft and other unmanned aerial vehicles.
What Is GEK800?
GEK800 is an 800-pound-thrust turbofan engine designed to support long-range missiles and other uncrewed applications. Kratos and GE Aerospace began developing the engine in 2023 through a technology maturation and risk reduction phase supported by internal investment and funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The joint team has completed more than 50 engine starts during ground testing at Kratos and GE Aerospace facilities. In 2025, the companies completed altitude testing of the engine at Purdue University’s Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories.
What Did Kratos & GE Aerospace Officials Say About the Award & Designation?
Amy Gowder, president and CEO of GE Aerospace Defense & Systems, said the designation and EMD award reflect the performance of the GEK800 engine and the companies’ partnership. She noted that the outcome reflects years of engineering work to deliver propulsion systems for military customers’ requirements.
Eric DeMarco, president and CEO of Kratos, said the contract supports DOW’s efforts to reindustrialize domestic manufacturing capacity for low-cost, rapidly produced engines.
“Kratos has been working with our outstanding partner GE Aerospace and the United States Air Force to support the Department of War in reindustrializing U.S. manufacturing capacity and capability in the area of low cost, rapidly manufacturable, in large quantities, jet engines for drones, cruise missiles and other systems. Kratos and GE Aerospace are making significant investments with our government partners, to support U.S. National Security priorities,” he said.
What Other Contracts Have Kratos & GE Aerospace Secured?
The JASSM engine award adds to a series of contracts Kratos and GE Aerospace have secured. GE Aerospace announced a $1 billion investment to expand engine production and strengthen the defense industrial base, including more than $275 million earmarked for upgrading sites that manufacture defense components. The company also secured a $1.4 billion award from Naval Air Systems Command for T408 engines supporting the U.S. Marine Corps’ CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter, along with a separate contract worth up to $5 billion from the Air Force to support foreign military sales of F110-GE-129 engines used on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.
Kratos has continued to expand its footprint across missile defense and radar sustainment work. The company received approximately $400 million in DOW funding in July to advance work on hypersonic systems and other national security-related programs. Kratos also received a potential $156 million sole-source contract from the National Nuclear Security Administration to provide mobile counter-unmanned aircraft systems in support of Project Solar Shield, and secured a Phase 1 contract worth a potential $175 million from the U.S. Navy to develop an organic sustainment capability for AN/SPY-1 radar systems, under which the company will construct a radar integration complex in Indiana.
