The Air Force requested nearly $149 million for advanced aerospace propulsion and power technology development in fiscal year 2014, according to President Barack Obama’s budget request, which was released April 10.
The service wants $64.1 million for advanced development of aircraft propulsion subsystems integration. This project develops and demonstrates technology to increase turbine engine operational reliability, durability, mission flexibility and performance while reducing weight, fuel consumption and cost of ownership. The project includes demonstrator engines for manned systems and concept and efficient small-scale propulsion for remotely piloted aircraft and cruise missile applications.
The Air Force would put $32.3 million toward the advanced turbine engine gas generator project. This project’s objective is to provide the continued evolution of technologies into an advanced gas generator in which the performance, cost, durability, reliability and maintainability can be assessed in a realistic engine environment. The Air Force described the gas generator, or core, as the basic building block of an engine.
The space and missile rocket propulsion effort would receive $24 million. The project develops and demonstrates advanced and innovative low-cost rocket turbo-machinery and components and low-cost space launch propulsion technologies. This project also develops technologies for the sustainment of strategic systems, including solid boost/missile propulsion, post boost control and tactical rockets.
The budget request also includes $19 million for advanced aerospace propulsion, $7.5 million for aerospace power technology and $2.5 million for aerospace fuels.