VIVAERO

XA103 engine development gains speed for NGAD fighter jet

Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is fast-tracking development of its XA103 adaptive engine – designed for the US Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter – by leveraging advanced digital data packages.

The XA103 is part of USAF’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) programme, which aims to deliver engines that can adapt to changing mission demands in real time. Unlike traditional fixed-cycle engines, adaptive engines can switch between operating modes to optimise for fuel efficiency or maximum thrust, depending on the situation.

By setting stringent digital requirements for its supply base and internal teams and distributing advanced digital design models, Pratt & Whitney is shortening development time0s, reducing costs and increasing design efficiency. These comprehensive packages enable rapid design iteration, easier integration with supplier systems, improved resource forecasting for manufacturing, and accelerated digital model testing and validation.

"We are paving the way with digital on NGAP, so much so that the rate at which we are delivering XA103 technical data packages has doubled," said Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt & Whitney's military engines business. "Model-based design ties all the puzzle pieces together, fostering constant collaboration, and we are applying these learnings across our engine portfolio."

In addition to RTX investment and work completed under government contracts, Pratt & Whitney has self-invested more than $30m this year to further develop its model-based environment, which significantly improves the accuracy of propulsion design, including XA103. Driving quality work faster across the value stream – including more than 1,000 engineers and support staff, the customer, and over 100 domestic suppliers – will deliver XA103's adaptive technology at the speed of relevance.

Pratt & Whitney's NGAP team is working toward the next major milestone for the programme, the Assembly Readiness Review, which will validate the timeline for the prototype's build and test. The XA103 engine is expected to test in the late 2020s.

Pratt & Whitney’s XA103 is one of two adaptive-cycle engines under development for NGAP, competing against GE Aerospace’s XA102. These engines are intended to power the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, a sixth-generation fighter designed for highly contested environments. NGAD is expected to feature advanced stealth, networked sensors, and potentially unmanned teaming capabilities, all of which require a propulsion system capable of delivering exceptional thermal management and electrical power for future technologies such as directed-energy weapons.

The NGAP programme builds on lessons learned from the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP), which focused on re-engining the F-35 with adaptive cycle technology. While AETP engines such as the XA100 and XA101 were evaluated for the F-35, the XA103 is tailored specifically for NGAD’s performance requirements. This includes sustained supersonic cruise, improved fuel efficiency for extended range, and the ability to handle extreme heat loads from advanced avionics and weapons systems.

www.rtx.com