Sierra Nevada Corp contracts with GE Aerospace for upgraded U.S. Air Force operations platform

Amy Gowder, president and CEO of GE Aerospace Defense & Systems, emphasized that remaining competitive in export markets requires shifting design practices towards achieving “affordable mass for multiple buys.” She noted that GE's footprint in Asia, where it operates engineering centers in Japan, India, and Korea, will support prospects in other export markets.

In June, GE introduced its Time Sensitive Networking Digital Backbone computing platform designed to control multiple systems and avionics for both civil and military aircraft. This open architecture platform can work with various systems to facilitate modifications and already serves as the core computing system for Boeing’s 787 airliner. The U.S. Army also selected this system for its V-280 Valor future military tiltrotor.

“The U.S. Army is very excited about this because it is truly open and modular, so they can upgrade avionics, integrating new electronic warfare capabilities by adding network nodes and building new circuit cards,” Gowder told AIN.

Looking ahead, GE continues investing in rotating detonation combustion technology intended for future Mach 5 hypersonic aircraft. In December, it demonstrated a sub-scale dual-mode ramjet test rig and plans to run a scaled-up version later this year.

Another research priority is an adaptive cycle engine featuring an advanced thrust control system envisioned for future military platforms. “We want to have the cruise and fuel efficiency of an airliner to be able to loiter longer,” Gowder explained. “But when needed there would be the thrust and maneuverability to operate like a fighter.” She added that another advantage includes having a third stream of air for additional cooling.