Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP)

The Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) falls under the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation budget activity. The program's specific goals include designing and manufacturing multiple adaptive engine prototypes, conducting component rig assessments, characterizing materials, and informing manufacturing process improvements. These prototypes aim to demonstrate fuel efficiency increases, thrust increases, and new component technologies through sea-level, altitude, and durability assessments across multiple power settings. The program also seeks to scale adaptive engine technology to meet military fighter engine size requirements while ensuring appropriate manufacturing and technology readiness levels by producing flight-weight prototypes. AETP test objectives are foundational risk reduction activities for the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program providing capability enabling options for Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) capabilities.

The program's objectives also include responding to Congressional direction in the 2023 Appropriations Bill and accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement to maintain separate budget lines for the AETP and NGAP efforts. Additionally, it aims to demonstrate that adaptive engine technology can be scaled to meet military fighter engine size requirements while ensuring appropriate manufacturing and technology readiness levels by producing flight-weight prototypes. The program is managed by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Propulsion Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. However, it is important to note that the AETP will be discontinued in FY 2024 due to the F135 Engine Core Upgrade restoring engine life and preventing degradation for all three F-35 variants at the lowest cost. Therefore, no funding is required or requested for the AETP in FY 2024.