The Timken Company (USA; NYSE: TKR) announced it has received $2.4 million in U.S. government funding for project related to, "improving the performance and affordability of the next-generation aerospace gas turbine engine."

From the Versatile Affordable Advanced Turbine Engine (VAATE) program description:

VAATE is the national turbine engine technology plan that will provide the future propulsion capability our war fighters need to combat these changing threats to our security. Comprised of all sectors of the Department of Defense, NASA, the Department of Energy, six major engine companies and three airframe manufacturers, VAATE is a totally integrated, physics-based, turbine engine technology program chaired by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The program includes technical activities, which will improve turbine engine capabilities beyond those of a year 2000 baseline engine while reducing all facets of engine cost.

VAATE’s mission is to develop, demonstrate and transition advanced, multi-use, turbine engine technologies that provide a revolutionary improvement in affordable capability to a broad range of legacy, emerging and future propulsion and power needs, with explicit versatility for dual use application.

AFLDP describes VAATE as a, "three-phase technology program," aiming to produce a tenfold improvement in affordable turbine engine capability by 2017. Its parallel goal is to, "ensure America’s leadership in the world turbine engine marketplace."

VAATE "physics-based" program goals are aggressive: no sacrifice in thrust-to-weight, 25% reduction in fuel consumption, standardization on a single fuel for all applications, 25% reduction in "propulsion related mishaps," service life maintenance costs reduced by 10%, and doubling the service interval.

VAATE program video
Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate

VAATE program position paper
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Specifically, Timken's contract is to develop and present advanced bearing materials for VAATE program engine bearings. Timken will, "demonstrate how advanced bearing materials can survive hotter environments at higher speeds for longer periods of time."

J. Ron Menning, Timken's Aerospace and Defense head, said: "Timken's involvement in this long-term initiative reflects our technical expertise in creating advanced solutions for the challenges of next-generation engines. We continue to develop innovations that can improve the performance of aerospace engines and power transmission systems, and those technological advances can be leveraged with broader commercial and defense applications."