The U.S. Air Force has awarded preliminary design contracts to GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce Liberty Works to mature engine designs for medium-thrust autonomous drones, the latest sign that propulsion is becoming a defining bottleneck for the Pentagon's loyal-wingman fleet.
GE426 advances to preliminary design
GE Aerospace's Cincinnati-based Edison Works skunkworks won a firm-fixed-price award through the service's Propulsion Consortium Initiative 2.0 to complete a preliminary design review for the new GE426 engine. The 4,000- to 9,000-pound thrust class powerplant cleared its concept design review in August 2025. Kratos Defense & Security, GE's partner on the program, separately landed a $12.4 million Air Force design contract.
Rolls-Royce Liberty Works picks up the same solicitation
An Air Force spokesperson confirmed Rolls-Royce's Indianapolis-based Liberty Works arm received a contract under the same solicitation. Candice Binyard, Rolls-Royce's director of business development and future programs for defense, said the company's AE engine family, which already powers the Navy's MQ-25 Stingray refueling drone, RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4C Triton, is positioned for the Autonomous Collaborative Platform mission.
Autonomous Collaborative Platforms take shape
ACP drones are designed to fly alongside crewed fighters with modular open systems architecture, digital engineering, rapid software development and new manufacturing techniques. The Collaborative Combat Aircraft already under development, General Atomics' YFQ-42A and Anduril's YFQ-44A, are types of ACPs the Air Force expects to operate in highly contested airspace.
A propulsion race for the loyal wingman
The awards add to a deep run of U.S. autonomous combat aircraft procurement and demonstration activity, including the Pentagon CDAO Crucible 2 Swarm Forge selection, the War Department Drone Dominance Phase II Gauntlet and AeroVironment's $117M P550 reconnaissance drone contract.
Reporting based on coverage from Air & Space Forces Magazine, GE Aerospace and Breaking Defense.