There are a lot of new demands on the government-industry propulsion enterprise—ranging from exquisite new fighter engines to cheap, off-the-shelf powerplants for drones—that will require sustained support, experts said.
The Air Force wants to spend $1.3 billion to finish designing two competitive engines to power the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, budget documents show. They say the designs are well along, and the timing of the request indicates production could begin by 2028.