More than two decades of investment in a new kind of adaptive jet propulsion system faces a critical decision point in 2023.The U.S. Air Force must decide whether to spend more money to develop an upgraded version of the Pratt & Whitney F135 or replace the jet engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35A with a new alternative, which would represent the first new centerline engine for a combat aircraft to enter full-scale testing in more than 30 years.The Biden administration's fiscal 2024 defense budget, expected to be unveiled in February, may deliver the Air Force's long-awaited verdict. The long-term spending plan included in the Pentagon's fiscal 2024 budget request may reveal whether the Air Force will seek a long-expected transition to adaptive propulsion for combat aircraft with the F-35 or with the sixth-generation fighter at the heart of the Next-Generation Air Dominance program.The decision carries expensive implications either way.
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