The company will continue developing a configuration that combines a booster and cruiser into an integrated all-up round. The platform is intended to provide a flexible test capability for the development of next-generation hypersonic technologies.
The 2026 phase will cover full integration of the all-up-round configuration and the first qualification activities. GE Aerospace will also conduct component-level testing of key subsystems.
Steve “Doogie” Russell, vice president and general manager of Edison Works at GE Aerospace, said accelerating hypersonic testing was important to developing new capabilities at speed and scale. “This work with DIU builds on years of investment and progress, and we are proud to help deliver a flexible, responsive test solution to support national defense priorities,” Russell said.
The HyCAT effort began in 2023, when GE Aerospace received initial funding for concept development and the formation of its project team. Development moved into subsystem refinement and evaluation in 2024.
GE Aerospace completed a preliminary design review of the all-up-round test platform in 2025. The newly awarded work shifts the program from subsystem and design activity towards an integrated test article and its initial qualification.
