XA100 Adaptive Cycle Engine

"[The military would] like more range. They'd like more thrust. And they need better thermal management, just given the sheer magnitude of the electronics on board. We know our XA100 is the only engine that can fulfill that mission. It's the only engine that's been tested. We have two of them. We've had a lot of the Air Force brass through here to see the XA100. And I think as we work through the rest of this year, we will work hard to make sure the warfighters have what they need in that moment of truth with the XA100."

– H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., GE Chairman and CEO and GE Aerospace CEO

“When it comes to the Indo-Pacific, we need to be careful to not sacrifice the immediate for the future. We must support both. Unfortunately, when it comes to air power, this year’s [FY24] budget misses a critical opportunity to field new [AETP] engine technology by 2028 that will dramatically multiply our capability in the region and improve deterrence through the F-35 program… As we develop a fully networked force with our allies and partners, the ability of the F-35 to collect and synthesize data will be an incredible force multiplier as part of Joint All Domain Command and Control, or JADC2. To harness these capabilities, our services need a much better engine. Until this year we were on the right path.”

– Deborah Lee James, 23rd Secretary of the Air Force

“As we continue to debate how to counter the technological advancements made by our adversaries, the XA100 engine belongs in the conversation. For the Pentagon the elevate one engine over another goes against the free market and I will be pressing defense officials on their rationale for this misguided decision [to not fund AETP]”

– U.S. Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

“The [F-35] will be the backbone of American and Allied combat aviation for decades to come. That’s good. It is a fantastic fighting machine. It has capabilities that literally redefine combat aviation. I truly believe we now have the [engine] technology available to make a good thing even better with AETP. I trust the Congress and DoD will take advantage of those extra decades of development and keep the F-35s dominant as the global threat environment changes.”

– Gen. (Ret.) T. Michael Moseley,18th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force

“At a time when the U.S. is likely to be outnumbered by its adversaries, particularly in a fight in the Indo-Pacific, it’s important that our aviators have the best fighters America can provide. Air combat is unforgiving when it comes to second best. Putting one of the AETP engines in the F-35 is clearly the best choice for U.S. national security.”

– John Venable, Senior Research Fellow, Defense Policy, Heritage Foundation

"The AETP engines, while slightly more up front, will cost considerably less over time because of their greater efficiency gains. Less fuel burn equals more range, equals a requirement for fewer tankers. Increased durability will also pay you back with fewer maintenance cycles and overhauls. And by building in lifetime margin, you eliminate the incremental upgrade approach that has built-in costs at every turn. … it only makes sense to choose the option that will work better and pay you back for the investment.”

– Jeremiah Gertler, Director, The Defense Concepts Organization

“[AETP] is a fully competitive program… it is not replicating something we are already buying; it is moving military aircraft engines to an entirely new technology, thanks to advanced materials and decades of development since the last clean-sheet fighter engine. Yes, it is about improving the F-35, but the AETP is building the foundation of the future of American combat aviation.”

– Erin Conaton, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness