JetZero receives $235 million from the US Air Force to develop fuel-efficient blended-wing aircraft
Jet Zero has selected Pratt & Whitney GT engines to power the demonstrator (Image: JetZero)
JetZero has won a $235 million award from USAF to accelerate the development of its blended-wing body aircraft which promises a 50% reduction in fuel burn and emissions.
The effort is being funded under the US DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) with work to occur over a four-year period, culminating in the first flight of the full-scale demonstrator by the first quarter of 2027.
The DIU was founded in 2015 to help the US military make faster use of emerging commercial technologies.
The company is collaborating with Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites, who bring extensive experience in advanced aircraft design, manufacturing and mission systems integration to build and test the full-scale demonstrator.
Jet Zero has selected Pratt & Whitney GT engines to power the demonstrator, with Pratt & Whitney GATORWORKS supporting JetZero with design and integration of the propulsion system within the demonstrator.
According to the company, as a military or commercial platform an operational aircraft could provide a 50% reduction in fuel burn and emissions with the current concept carrying 200 passenger or personnel.
The blended wing body aircraft, a design that has been under study by NASA and others for three decades, lends itself to conversion in the future to hydrogen propulsion, which would produce zero carbon emissions.
More from Air Warfare
-
![New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition]()
New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition
The US$234 million award for 16 Sikorsky UH-60Ms preserves near-term production, but funding uncertainty and an undefinitised contract leave the US Army’s long-term Black Hawk requirements unresolved.
-
![V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal]()
V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal
Bell Boeing will supply 73 additional ODSSHI kits as NAVAIR prepares to introduce predictive drive-system monitoring across US and Japanese V-22 fleets.
-
![AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics]()
AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics
The US Air Force is evaluating demonstrators for uncrewed cargo missions as it considers logistics requirements across the Pacific and other contested environments.
-
![Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad]()
Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad
European counter-drone developers are securing early orders in the Middle East while slow domestic acquisition processes threaten to redirect production capacity, expertise and investment away from Europe.
