Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, described the agreement as a decisive move. “Kratos’ strategically important teaming agreement with GE Aerospace continues to rapidly advance and expand, with the GEK family of engines targeting certain of the most important, mission-critical and highest-priority needs and requirements of United States National Security.”

Central to the collaboration is the development of the GEK800 and GEK1500 engines, part of a new propulsion portfolio engineered to offer scalable, low-cost, high-performance solutions for unmanned applications. This partnership builds on last year’s memorandum of understanding between the two companies and expands the scope to include manufacturing, testing, and deployment.

Amy Gowder, President and CEO of Defence & Systems at GE Aerospace, said, “The formalisation of this teaming agreement and initiation of development of these new engines mark another step forward in our dedication to providing affordable, adaptable, high-performance propulsion systems for the future force.”

From Prototype to Battlefield

Kratos brings over two decades of specialised experience in developing propulsion for UAS, drones, and missile platforms. Paired with GE Aerospace’s century-long leadership in high-rate propulsion manufacturing, the companies aim to accelerate progress from concept to capability.

Their efforts are designed to meet the Department of Defence’s requirements for affordable mass propulsion across a range of evolving mission profiles. With the GEK800 already in development and work beginning on the GEK1500, the agreement offers a framework to field disruptive propulsion technologies at scale.

Kratos’ innovation model hinges on internally funded R&D, rapid deployment, and cost-effective design. As DeMarco puts it, “At Kratos, affordability is a technology.”