AFA 2026: United States Micro Turbine targets US small jet engine market

A model of United States Microturbine's USMT-400 90-lb thrust turbine engine displayed at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in September 2026 (Janes/Jeremiah Cushman)

Demand for small jet engines to power drones and missiles continues to grow as armed forces seek to build stockpiles of such weapons. United States Micro Turbine, headquartered in San Francisco, California, was founded in May 2026 to help address US demand for these engines.

Jordan Factor, CEO for United States Micro Turbine, told Janes on 15 September at the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, that he got his start with jet-powered remote-control aircraft.

“In the last year or two, it became exceedingly difficult to get your hands on a model specific jet engine. The reason is they've been diverted from the hobbyist world to the defence space. There was also an embargo on a Chinese company that was selling engines here. You couldn't get your hands on engines easily as you once could, and it became clear that there was a business opportunity,” he said.

“I started tinkering with the idea. What would a design look like?” Factor explained, adding that he put together a design in a couple of weeks, refined it, and “suddenly I had a product that I thought was good enough to test and release as a first product for the company”.

Products

The company's initial product is the USMT-400 single-spool turbojet engine, which produces 400 N (89.9 lb) of thrust and weighs 3.75 kg (8.27 lb), according to a factsheet.

The engine measures 355 mm (14 in) in length with a maximum diameter of 150 mm (5.9 in), the factsheet said. It can use Jet-A, JP-8, and diesel fuel.