The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded Pratt & Whitney a contract for a ground test demonstration programme for a novel engine architecture.

The design will use a rotating engine detonation concept to be jointly executed by Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, and Raytheon Technologies Research Center.

“Pratt & Whitney’s Gatorworks was able to complete initial concept development well ahead of schedule, and we will continue leveraging our digital and agile capabilities to accelerate progress on this program,” said Dave Stagney, director of Gatorworks. “Given the need for this critical engine technology, the Raytheon Technologies team will utilize its advanced resources and expertise to meet the technical objectives in an expeditious fashion.”

The AFRL Program Office is a key partner enabling the joint Raytheon Technologies team to work in sprints to mitigate the highest risks for an advanced product while accelerating technology maturation.

“AFRL is excited to work with Pratt & Whitney to advance this novel and military relevant propulsion architecture. Pratt & Whitney has made considerable progress developing this concept to date and we look forward to successfully demonstrating this important technology in collaboration with the RTX team,” said Dr Michael Gregg, director, Aerospace Directorate, AFRL.

The engine is being designed to fly at higher Mach speeds, enabling broadening future vehicle designs and applications.

The design is intended to be a key element of Pratt & Whitney’s high-speed engine portfolio to meet future customer requirements.

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