GE Aerospace has been awarded a contract by the US Defense Logistics Agency aimed at enhancing the readiness of the J85 engine, which powers the US Air Force’s primary trainer aircraft, the T-38. Under the agreement, GE Aerospace will deliver fleet management and supply optimisation capabilities in support of the Air Force’s pilot training mission.
The award represents the first digitally enabled TrueChoice™ Defense contract for the J85 engine. The initial term runs for seven months and includes an option for a further four years and five months. The programme will employ artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics to integrate previously fragmented data from across the enterprise, including inputs from the US Air Force, the Defense Logistics Agency and GE Aerospace. By consolidating these data streams, the platform is designed to forecast parts demand, identify emerging supply chain constraints and provide stakeholders with a comprehensive operational overview. This enhanced visibility is intended to support faster decision-making, more efficient engine sustainment and improved fleet readiness.
The contract follows a successful pilot initiative that combined data from multiple organisations responsible for managing more than 6,000 individual J85 engine components. The trial demonstrated how advanced analytics can strengthen supply chain transparency, reduce delays and enable more proactive maintenance and sustainment planning.
As part of the programme, GE Aerospace is collaborating with Palantir to integrate expertise in aerospace engineering, data integration and artificial intelligence. The partnership will focus on mitigating supply chain bottlenecks, improving parts availability and enabling more timelier, data-driven decisions across the J85 sustainment ecosystem, ultimately reinforcing operational capability for the Air Force.
