DARPA has signed an agreement to develop an aircraft propulsion system under the ARFE (Advanced Full Range Engine) program with Orbital ATK. Under the agreement of $ 21.4 million, Orbital ATK will develop an engine that can be used with subsonic and hypersonic (+5 Mach) speeds.

In October 2017, DARPA signed an agreement with Aerojet Rocketdyne under the same program.

The Defense Agency aims to have a propulsion system that has been developed with the Turbine Based Combined Cycle Concept with the ARFE Program. It is aimed to combine this system with traditional motors and ramjet engines capable of hypersonic flight in dual mod propulsion system.