GE-Kratos F143 engine selected as second power source for JASSM missile

GE Aerospace and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions have won a US Air Force contract to further develop their jointly built GEK800 turbofan, now designated F143-ZZ-100 by the military, as a second engine source for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile program. Neither company disclosed the value or duration of the award, or a target production date.

The companies describe the engine as complementary rather than a replacement for existing propulsion. The AGM-158B JASSM-ER variant currently uses a Williams International F107-WR-105 turbofan, while the earlier AGM-158A relied on a Teledyne CAE J402-CA-100 turbojet. GE Aerospace says the F143 is rated at roughly 800 pounds of thrust and was designed for long-range missiles and other uncrewed systems.

The contract follows a broader Air Force push to widen its standoff-strike weapons inventory. In April 2026 the service issued a request for information for a program called FAMM-BAR, seeking a low-cost cruise missile it hopes to buy in quantities of 1,000 to 2,000 units annually. That weapon is meant to complement pricier systems such as JASSM-ER and the AGM-158 XR.

GE Aerospace said it began working with Kratos in 2023 under a technology maturation and risk-reduction phase, funded through a mix of internal investment and support from the Air Force Research Laboratory. Since then, the joint team has logged more than 50 engine starts in ground testing at facilities run by both companies. It also completed altitude testing during 2025 at Purdue University's Zucrow Laboratories.

The award marks a new stage in the engine's development. It stops short, though, of confirming the F143 for full-rate production.