The Air Force Research Lab has funded continued development for General Electric Aviation’s work on the Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology (ADVENT) program, the company announced Oct. 20. AFRL expects the program to advance the state-of-the-art in turbine engine technology. GE had worked on ADVENT since its beginning in 2008, providing preliminary and detailed design, analysis, and risk-reduction activities under Phase I. The Phase II effort, expected to run through 2012, will demonstrate several key technologies, including “a hot section featuring ceramic matrix composites, demonstration of a high-pressure ratio core and an advanced variable pressure ratio fan, and GE’s next-generation cooled turbine,” said Jeff Martin, GE’s ADVENT general program manager.
The nominee to lead U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency touted the value of the organizations’ dual-hat command structure and urged caution toward creating a dedicated cyber military service in written testimony to Congress released Jan. 15.
