GKN Aerospace Builds ITAR-Free 3D-Printed UAV Engine for Sweden

GKN hits a milestone 18 months early

GKN Aerospace unveiled a full UAV demonstrator at the Armed Forces Air Venture exhibition in Sweden. The aircraft, called Project Otto, carries a compact turbojet engine produced using metal additive manufacturing. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration contracted GKN in November 2025 for EUR 13.6 million and expected the program to take 18 months. GKN now says the demonstrator will fly for the first time no later than early 2027.

Why the engine matters

The turbojet is 3D printed in metal. GKN has built metal propulsion systems for years and even developed its own directed energy deposition printer. That experience shows in the timeline. The demonstrator can carry 300 kg over 600 km or 100 kg over 1,000 km.

The ITAR angle

GKN states that no part in the demonstrator falls under US International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That is unusual for a defense system with Western prime contractors as customers. The implication is that NATO allies can now collaborate on certain defense programs without US export-control friction. Northrop Grumman, RTX, and other US giants already rely on GKN as a supplier. ITAR-free production in Europe gives those primes a way to manufacture sensitive components on allied soil without breaking US law.

What comes next

Sweden joined NATO in 2024. Project Otto fits a pattern of European defense integration backed by additive manufacturing. GKN's speed suggests the model works. If the demonstrator flies on schedule, expect more contracts for distributed, ITAR-free military production across the alliance.