GE Aerospace has won a contract to boost the operational readiness of the J85 turbojet engine, which powers the US Air Force’s T-38 Talon training jets.
Awarded by the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the deal aims to improve parts availability and fleet management across the Air Force’s training fleet.
The initial contract runs seven months, with an option to extend for over four years.
GE Aerospace will use its TrueChoice Defense platform, a digital system leveraging AI and data analytics to consolidate information from the US Air Force, DLA, and GE’s own enterprise.
The platform is designed to anticipate parts demand, flag supply chain bottlenecks, and provide a centralized view for sustainment decisions.
Data Integration
The contract builds on a test program where GE Aerospace integrated data from multiple organizations managing more than 6,000 J85 engine components.
The initiative demonstrated that predictive analytics can improve supply chain visibility, reduce delays, and enable more proactive maintenance scheduling.
GE Aerospace is collaborating with Palantir to combine aerospace engineering expertise with AI-driven analytics, aiming to optimize parts availability and overall sustainment performance.
J85 Engine
The J85 engine has been in service for decades, originally developed by General Electric in the 1950s. It powers the T-38, the primary jet trainer for US Air Force pilots, and several other aircraft types.
Maintaining high readiness of the T-38 fleet is critical, as it underpins pilot training programs that feed operational units across the air force.
By applying digital tools and analytics to engine sustainment, the air force aims to cut aircraft downtime and improve overall fleet availability.
