Area of Interest - BWB C-17 Propulsion

Area of Interest (1): Blended Wing Body (BWB) and C-17 Propulsion The Air Force Operational Energy Office (SAF/IE), is seeking concepts for a dual-use propulsion system for both military and commercial aircraft. The North American Classification System (NAICS) Code and associated description is 336412 - Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing.
Current and potential future aircraft in both sectors require engines with 35,000-50,000-lbs of thrust; however, no current production capability exists for propulsion systems in this thrust class. This opportunity represents a potential military/commercial market of $35-40 billion dollars through 2045.
The most recent National Defense Strategy directed the military services to prioritize energy demand reduction to reduce logistics requirements in contested environments. Subsequent National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) have highlighted the same and authorized significant funding to achieve those objectives. While for different reasons, alignment between the military and commercial sectors in this instance provides an opportunity to leverage common objectives for accelerated advancement of a new propulsion system or consequential upgrades and program life-extension to existing propulsion systems in the 35,000-50,000-lbs thrust category. Both traditional engine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and non-traditional companies are encouraged to submit concepts.
Military applications: Military applications for a 35,000-50,000-lbs thrust engine under evaluation may include a re-engine, or technology upgrade, for the US Air Force’s 221 C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, as well as any potential new military platforms based upon blended wing body (BWB) technology.
Despite a fleet age spanning 11-32 years, utilization of the highly versatile C-17 Globemaster continues to exceed expectations. As the C-17 will remain a mainstay of the Air Force’s strategic airlift capabilities for at least the next three decades, a re-engine or technology upgrade for the current F117 (PW2040) engines could provide value.
With contested logistics risk reduction as a key priority in recent National Defense Authorization Acts, the Air Force is pursuing innovative technologies for its future capabilities. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) recently partnered with industry to develop a prototype aircraft to demonstrate the capabilities of BWB technology. With a design that differs from a traditional tubeand-wing aircraft, the BWB blends the aircraft body into its high-aspect-ratio wing, decreasing