GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney have successfully completed Assembly Readiness Reviews (ARR) for their Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) engine prototypes. These milestones mark a transition into the physical construction phase for the powerplants intended for the Boeing F-47, the aircraft selected to succeed the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
Pratt & Whitney cleared the review for its XA103 design on May 8, followed closely by GE Aerospace, which confirmed the same status for its XA102 model on May 11. The ARR process serves to validate that manufacturing processes, supply chain logistics, and engineering designs are sufficiently mature to begin assembly of full-scale demonstrators.
Both manufacturers emphasized the role of digital-first engineering in reaching this stage. By utilizing model-based definitions, the teams integrated design, manufacturing, and inspection within a unified digital environment. This approach is intended to refine the development timeline as the U.S. Air Force seeks to maintain competitive prototyping for the program. The Air Force has requested $514 million for NGAP in the fiscal 2027 budget to support these efforts. Both contractors expect to move into full-scale assembly as the program progresses toward ground testing.