GE Aerospace has delivered the second T901 engine for installation in the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft prototypes, allowing the two teams to start work simultaneously.

GE announced Oct. 13 that the second T901 engine, developed under the Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program, has been accepted by the Army. The announcement comes one week after the Army announced it had accepted the first.

The second T901 was delivered to a Defense Contract Management Agency site in Massachusetts ahead of being sent to Sikorsky in Connecticut to be installed in the company’s Raider X prototype. The Army said earlier in the week that the first engine was at a Defense Contract Management Agency location in Fort Worth, awaiting delivery to Bell to be installed in its 360 Invictus prototype. The Army waited for both engines to be ready so the companies would not get a head start.

The Army says the engines will undergo extensive testing in altitude chambers ahead of being certified for flight.

Delivery of the T901 has been long delayed and impacted the FARA timeline, with the Army saying it expects a preliminary design review in fiscal 2025 ahead of a milestone B decision in 2026.

The prototypes are expected to start flying in mid-2024, the Army says.