United States, Feb. 23 -- GE Aerospace and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., a leader in defense, national security, and global markets, announced a joint U.S. Air Force contract for $12.4M to design a next-generation engine for small Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The initial phase of the program will complete the preliminary design of the GEK1500 engine to meet demanding performance requirements while achieving aggressive cost targets for affordable mass. The GEK1500 is a 1,500-lb thrust jet engine that could potentially power unmanned aerial systems (UAS), collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), and missiles. The design of the GEK1500 leverages the GEK800 cruise missile engine architecture which is successfully completing te...