US Micro Turbine launches USMT-400 turbojet to meet domestic small jet engine demand
Why It MattersA new domestic entrant targeting small jet engines signals emerging supply diversification in a niche segment squeezed by defence-sector diversion and foreign supply embargoes.
United States Micro Turbine, headquartered in San Francisco, California, was founded in May 2026 to address growing US demand for small jet engines. The company's founder said obtaining model-specific jet engines had become increasingly difficult in recent years, pointing to two causes: hobbyist-market engines being diverted to the defence sector, and an embargo on a Chinese company that had previously supplied engines to the US market. Seeing a business opportunity, the founder developed an initial design within weeks and refined it into the company's first commercial product.
The company's debut product is the USMT-400, a single-spool turbojet engine producing 400 N (89.9 lb) of thrust. It weighs 3.75 kg (8.27 lb), measures 355 mm (14 in) in length, and has a maximum diameter of 150 mm (5.9 in). The engine is compatible with Jet-A, JP-8, and diesel fuels.
